Published on December 15th, 2016 | http://lobelog.com/lack-of-internal-reforms-not-foreign-interference-as-biggest-obstacle-to-peace-and-stability/#more-37156

Lack of Internal Reforms – Not Foreign Interference – as Biggest Obstacle to Peace and Stability

by Jim Lobe
The failure by regional governments to implement political and economic reforms is seen by most publics in predominantly Muslim Middle Eastern countries as a greater obstacle to peace and stability than foreign interference, whether from the U.S. or other powers, according to the latest in a series of annual polls conducted by Zogby Research Services (ZRS) and released here Thursday at a forum co-sponsored by the Middle East Institute.
The survey, entitled “Middle East 2016: Current Conditions and the Road Ahead,” also found that–contrary to neoconservative and other hawkish critics who have complained about Washington’s alleged retreat in the region–respondents in all but two of the eight countries that were polled ranked “too little U.S. leadership” as the least important obstacle to peace and stability in the region. http://lobelog.com/lack-of-internal-reforms-not-foreign-interference-as-biggest-obstacle-to-peace-and-stability/#more-37156