Hell’s Angels of the Middle East

American foreign policy may have its limits, but American culture does not. The latest example: Harley Davidsons are on the rise in the Middle East. The Los Angeles Times reports that bike clubs are popping up across the region, and Lebanon, whose ranks of bikers have swelled in recent years, just hosted its first Harley Davidson tour. Even in fundamentalist Saudi Arabia, bikers roar around in black leather. The bikers take their inspiration from American films like Easy Rider. '"People hated the way they were because they were so free and they weren't afraid of doing what they wanted," says one biker. Adds another: "Freedom is what it's all about."