Arab opinion of U.S. leadership low, but warming

By Cynthia Johnston

CAIRO (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama, when he addresses the Muslim world on Thursday, faces an Arab public that remains skeptical of U.S. leadership but whose perception has recently warmed, a U.S. pollster said on Wednesday.

But many Arabs are still withholding judgment on Obama's administration, and he has a chance to win greater approval in a speech to mend ties with world Muslims, said Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies.

"People had completely shut down and weren't listening any more to American leadership ... What Obama was able to successfully do was to get people back," Mogahed told Reuters in Cairo, where she released details of a recent Gallup survey of Arab views toward Washington.

Obama will use his address in Cairo to try to repair some of the damage to America's image caused by the Iraq war, U.S. treatment of military detainees and the lack of progress in Middle East peace talks.

Aides say his speech will reach out to Muslims but also deal with tough issues like the peace process and extremism.

"I think that a speech can make a huge difference," Mogahed said. "Muslims around the world want very much to engage with the West, and with the United States significantly, but want to engage as equal partners, instead of a relationship of paternalism."

Obama has cautioned against expecting too much from the speech, which he said was just the first step in opening a broader dialogue with the Muslim world.

IRAQ, PALESTINIAN ISSUES KEY