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Opinion of US, Bush dips
04/06/2003 08:25 - (SA)
Washington - World opinion of the United States has sunk following the Iraq war and many people have little confidence in US President George W Bush, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
The Pew Global Attitudes Project, chaired by former Clinton administration secretary of state Madeleine Albright, found in its survey that the US-led war had deepened an existing rift between America and Europe, and especially angered many Muslims around the world.
"The speed of the war in Iraq and the prevailing belief that the Iraqi people are better off as a result have modestly improved the image of America. But in most countries, opinions of the US are markedly lower than they were a year ago," the Pew survey said.
It found a majority of Muslims in the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Indonesia, and nearly half those in Pakistan and Morocco, had at least some confidence in Osama Bin Laden to "do the right thing regarding world affairs".
A total of 71% of Palestinians surveyed said they had confidence in bin Laden in this regard while most Muslim populations doubted a solution can be found to enable Israel to exist so that the rights of the Palestianian people are met.
Nearly 16 000 people in about 20 countries were polled during the last month for their view on how the war had affected opinion of the United States, Bush, the United Nations and the Middle East.
"In the long run we know what happens to Imperial powers and I don't foresee the United States going down that path," Albright said in a press conference at the National Press Club here.
"I believe that the United States is not and should not be an Imperial power. I think that the United States, the American people as a whole do not, to my belief, see themselves as an imperial power," Albright said.
"Negative views of the US among Muslims, which have been largely limited to countries in the Middle East, have spread to Muslim populations in Indonesia and Nigeria," the survey said.
Since last summer, favourable ratings for the United States have fallen to 15% from 61% in Indonesia and to 38% from 71% in Nigeria, two of the worlds most populous Muslim states.
The former secretary of state said the report showed many peoples identify with America's traditions of democracy and free speech.
"The war has widened the rift between Americans and Western Europeans, further inflamed the Muslim world, softened support for the (US) war on terrorism, and significantly weakened global public support for the pillars of the post-World War II era, the UN and the North Atlantic alliance," it said.
The study found that some three-quarters of those surveyed in France, or 76%, wanted a less dependent relationship with the United States on security and diplomacy matters.
A majority of German respondents, or 57% of those surveyed, were also less inclined to have a close relationship with Washington on those issues.
"People in most countries rate Vladimir Putin, Gerhard Schroeder, Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair more highly than they do Bush," it said.
It found that only modest percentages have confidence Bush will do the right thing in respect of international relations.
Albright said a great deal of work needs to be done to patch up transatlantic relationships.
"Obviously a great deal of work has to be done on both sides of the Atlantic in order to re-knit a lot of the relationships," Albright said.
She said President Bush's attendance at the Group of Eight summit in Evian, France, this past week could help re-build relationships, especially the one between the United States and France.
"From what I've heard it was a good beginning though a handshake of course is not the whole answer, but that there were beginnings of discussions. The important part is that both sides need to listen to each other again," she said in reference to the public handshake between Bush and French President Jacques Chirac at the summit.
The Pew survey has a three to four percent margin of error.
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