Adverse reactions to the Obama transition team

The choice of Rahm Emanuel as Obama's Chief of Staff ('CoS') has led to some adverse reactions in the Middle East, and also among sections of the Indian media. Much of this is the usual underinformed (if not downright bigoted) response to the appointment of Jewish officials to positions of authority which intermittently emanates from these sources, but the responses are notable for they show how closely the Obama transition is being watched abroad. The CoS is an interesting executive position, previous office-holders have been variously referred to as the 'Second-Most Powerful Man in Washington' and 'the gatekeeper of the Oval Office', but the position is usually associated with internal organisation and external negotiations and is not clear how much influence Obama's CoS will have over the making of foreign policy. In light of this, another interesting question arises: are certain foreign leaders (or media elites) now having second thoughts about the Obama administration, and looking for excuses to justify their growing unease? International reactions to future appointments to his Cabinet (notably Secretaries of State and Defense) will be quite illuminating.