International observers

CAIRO — The U.S. primaries are an enticing, confusing political drama for a Middle East looking for an American president who can offer security and repair years of Bush administration policies widely seen as disastrous.

The next U.S. president will inherit the Iraq war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a rising Iran and competition from the growing economies of India and China for oil in Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf nations.

Still, the feeling here is that no matter who wins the White House, there is bound to be an improvement in relations.

In a part of the world where democracy and minority rights are largely token, the Middle East elite is captivated by the Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The two candidacies are seen as epitomizing democracy, suggesting that the presidency is open to anyone willing to endure town hall meetings, Internet chats, slick ads and televised debates.

The ideal U.S. president for the region is seen as someone who can balance military power and diplomacy. Israelis had preferred former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, but with his exit from the Republican campaign, they’re inclined toward John McCain or Clinton. Palestinians are leaning toward Obama.

Egypt and other Arab nations are watching to see whether the candidates are pro-Israeli. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz rates candidates on a feature called The Israel Factor at https://www .haaretz.com/hasen/pages /rosnerPage.jhtml.

In Saudi Arabia, women aren’t allowed to drive, so the prospect of electing one as president is mesmerizing. And in Iraq, where bombings are relentless, most people are consumed with day-to-day survival, not exit polls.

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The U.S. presidential campaign is being followed closely around the globe, often with a sense of excitement about the democratic process -- and admiration, in many places, that a woman and an African American could be vying for the nomination of a major political party. And there appears to be something close to consensus that whoever wins the election, the next occupant of the White House will probably be more amenable to working with international leaders than President Bush has been. Times foreign correspondents assessed the mood in four regions where the U.S. campaign is viewed through decidedly local lenses.

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jeffrey.fleishman@ latimes.com

Contributors: Richard Boudreaux in Jerusalem, Tina Susman in Baghdad and Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo.