(AFP) – Nov 6, 2008

CAIRO (AFP) — Middle Eastern newspapers on Thursday welcomed Barack Obama's election victory, but warned against hopes of rapid or radical policy change in the region ravaged most by his predecessor.

Newspaper editorials hailed Obama's historic win as a welcome change for the United States after eight years of George W. Bush's presidency, but cautioned that Washington's regional priorities would always be Israel and oil.

Egypt's official Al-Ahram daily headlined with, "Obama rewrites American history," describing election night as "an evening to get rid of racism in an American way."

But Obama's victory "doesn't mean that we're about to witness a radical change in American policy," an editorial in the independent Al-Badil said, because change "doesn't depend on the colour of your skin."

Obama's presidency would not change the way "Arab affairs" are dealt with, the paper said, as US policy consists of "preserving Israel's superiority over all its Arab neighbours and (having) oil at an acceptable price."

Israel's press hailed Obama's victory as well as his choice of Rahm Emanuel, who's father is a former ultra-nationalist Israeli militant, to be his chief of staff as putting "our man in the White House."

The Jerusalem Post said in an editorial: "Those in our part of the world dedicated to rejectionism, violence and terrror will soon discover anew that the relationship between Washington and Jerusalem is above partisanship."

Damascus, long targeted by Bush's administration for allegedly sponsoring terrorism in neighbouring Iraq and Lebanon, appealed again for dialogue and for the United State to "tell the truth."

"Syria extends the hand of dialogue, and expects the hand of president-elect Barack Obama," the official Ath Thawra daily said in an editorial.

Lebanon's As-Safir, close to Syrian and Iranian-backed parties, said that "Obama reconciles the Unied Staes with itself and the world."

"What happened yesterday was beautiful, wonderful and brings hope to America," said an editorial. "But what will Obama do to erase the negative image of the United States overseas left over by the Bush administration?"

Beirut's English-language Daily Star said that "Obama's election is just the beginning of a long and uncertain road." In light of Bush's many "monstrous" mistakes and his "colossal failures" Obama faced a daunting task.

Newspapers in Iraq, steeped in chaos and bloodshed since the US-led invasion of 2003, were mostly pessimistic that Obama would herald change despite his campaign promises of a speedy withdrawal of US combat troops.

"We don't expect the US to change strategy as soon as there is a change in president," said the Badr daily.

The official paper of the government led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the Sabah, said the election "confirms that the spirit of citizenship governs the democratic life of America and not nationality, religion or partisanship."

"The root of the problem (in Iraq) lies in the absence of a culture of citizenship, and the dominance of political partisanship and nationalism."

Iran, long in the crosshairs of the United States and Israel for its controversial nuclear programme, hailed the African-American's victory but warned that Obama's stated desire for dialogue with Tehran should be treated with caution.

"Obama's view on talks with Iran is not strategic, it is a hostile tactic," read an editorial in the hardline Kayhan newspaper. "He does not regard talks as a means to reach a solution but as a way to increase pressures on Iran."

The Saudi daily Al-Riyadh hailed the significance of Obama's ability to "shatter the culture of racial discrimination" by grabbing the Oval Office, but warned Arabs and Muslims not to expect him to change US policies toward their causes unless they learn to uphold their own interests.

"Obama will not roll out his prayer rug in a mosque," the paper said, "nor will he convert to Islam or be an enemy of Israel or pull his troops out of blazing spots such as Iraq and Afghanistan."

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