US seen as biggest threat
"The survey interviewed people in China, Egypt, France, Germany,
Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Russia, Spain, Turkey and the US."
"...two-thirds of people surveyed in each country said they were
worried by global warming.
"Concern over the greenhouse effect was highest in India and Japan
and lowest in the US and China."
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BBC News
June 14, 2006
US 'biggest global peace threat'
People in European and Muslim countries see US policy in Iraq as a
bigger threat to world peace than Iran's nuclear programme, a survey
has shown.
The survey by the Pew Research Group also found support for US
President George W Bush and his "war on terror" had dropped
dramatically worldwide.
Goodwill created by US aid for nations hit by the 2004 tsunami had
also faded since last year, the survey found.
The survey questioned 17,000 people in 15 countries, including the US.
The latest in a series of annual polls by the Pew Global Attitudes
Project interviewed respondents between 31 March and 14 May 2006.
Its release coincides with a surprise visit by President George W
Bush to Baghdad in an effort to shore up support for US policy in the
region.
'Fading goodwill'
The latest survey shows the worldwide reputation of the US continues
to suffer over its prosecution of the "war on terror".
Sharp declines in the public perception of the US were particularly
apparent in India, Spain and Turkey.
Goodwill towards the US had fallen from 71% to 56% in India, from 41%
to 23% in Spain and from 23% to 12% in Turkey.
A majority of people in 10 of the 14 countries outside the US
surveyed said the war in Iraq had made the world a more dangerous
place.
Some 60% of people in the UK, which is the US biggest ally, felt the
Iraq war had made the world less secure, while some 30% said it had
made the world safer.
According to the survey:
* Worldwide support for the "war on terror" has remained the
same or declined
* European confidence in Mr Bush has sunk even lower than it
was last year
* A majority of people in most countries feel the US will not
achieve its goals in the "war on terror"
The survey also found little remaining evidence of the goodwill the
US had earned over its aid for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami.
In Indonesia, a major recipient of US tsunami aid, favourable
opinions of the US had fallen from 38% in 2005 to 30% this year.
"Last year we saw some good news in countries like Russia and India,"
Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Centre, told the
Associated Press news agency.
"That good news being wiped away is a measure of how difficult a
problem this is for the United States."
Muslim differences
According to the survey, people in the US and Europe have grown
increasingly concerned in the last year over Iran's nuclear programme.
The US has accused Iran of seeking to build a nuclear bomb - but Iran
says its nuclear programme has a purely civilian objective.
Almost half of the Americans surveyed, 46%, viewed the current
government in Iran as a "great danger" to stability in the Middle
East and to world peace - a figure that has risen from 26% in 2003.
In Germany, Spain, France and the UK, the percentage of people who
regard Iran as a great danger is roughly three times greater than it
was three years ago.
However, the poll showed public opinion in predominantly Muslim
countries was far less troubled by Tehran's nuclear programme.
Muslim people also appeared less concerned than Europeans and
Americans by the victory of the Hamas militant group in Palestinian
elections earlier this year.
The survey found concern over bird flu was largely confined to Asia,
while two-thirds of people surveyed in each country said they were
worried by global warming.
Concern over the greenhouse effect was highest in India and Japan and
lowest in the US and China.
The survey interviewed people in China, Egypt, France, Germany, Great
Britain, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia,
Spain, Turkey and the US.
Its margin of error was two to six percentage points.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/5077984.stm
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