CAIRO, Egypt - Arab viewers, many suspicious of U.S. intentions in their region, watched the U.S. presidential debate with wariness, some dismissing the event as a trivial "American show" long on rhetoric and short on specifics.

While some viewers said Democrat John Kerry appeared to best President Bush in the debate itself, analysts suggested Friday that Bush still appeals to many in the Middle East - to governments looking for continuity, to reformers looking for pressure on their countries, and to militants who see Bush's policies spreading support for their anti-American rage.

Salama Ahmed Salama, an Egyptian newspaper columnist, said that in the end, the debate - and the election itself - would mean little to the Middle East.

"Neither this or that (candidate) will be in the benefit of the Arab world," he said. "Everyone has been tossing us around."

American presidential races were closely watched overseas with viewers from Asia to the Middle East and Europe listening closely to the issues that matter most to them. In Asia, viewers were concerned with U.S. policy toward North Korea and its possible nuclear arsenal.

In the Middle East viewers were looking for a president who is willing to tackle the region's conflicts from the war in Iraq to fighting between Israelis and Palestinians.

The debate ran in the pre-dawn hours Friday in the Middle East. The region's most popular television news networks, Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, broadcast live coverage of the debate. Al-Arabiya replayed the debate at midday Friday, a day off throughout the region.

But although the Iraq war and the battle with global terrorism took center stage in the 90-minute debate, many Arab commentators lamented that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict wasn't mentioned.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said ignoring the issue during the debate was an indication that both candidates view the conflict "through Sharon's eyes," sending the region further down the road of "chaos, extremism and darkness."

"I think they should focus not on siding with Israel, but on making the Middle East a more stable and peaceful place," Erekat said.

Yossi Alpher, an Israeli political analyst, said the candidates sidestepped the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because the U.S. view of the Middle East has changed since Sept. 11.

In Asia, analysts said that both Kerry and Bush were adamant that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons program, pointing out that both were likely to take a tough stance.