Dubai, 8th Dec. 2008 -- By no means can the Middle East region be perceived today as one that is stable, prosperous or more democratic. By no measure could the region be categorised as being more secure. And by all measures, many policies carried out by the current US administration have played a role in bringing about such a state of affairs, a UAE daily paper asked today.

''The recent statement by George W. Bush with regard to US policies in the Middle East should not come as a surprise. Regardless of the numerous failures of American foreign policy in the region, Bush still blindly defends faulty stances, wrote Gulf News in its comment today.

''Bush described his approach to the region's problems as being "ambitious in vision, bold in action, and firm in purpose". Bush further said that the region is "a freer, more hopeful and more promising place than it was in 2001",''it said.

Yet, the paper noted, the ground reality on so many fronts attests otherwise as the region still faces an endless list of problems and challenges. In fact, it is the very policies of the Bush administration that have brought about negative consequences and have complicated issues further.

''The instability that Iraq is facing today, the stand-off with Iran, and the deadlock in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are a few areas in which American foreign policy has gravely failed. Additionally, the track record of the American administration in human rights issues has not been promising either. And unfortunately, it is the policies of infringing rights during Bush's presidency that has brought about many violations, instituting some as a practice.

''If anything, the American presidency has never been more out of touch with the region's realities,''the Gulf News concluded.(WAM/TF)