April 18, 2002. Copyright 2002. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

Americans and Europeans differ widely on foreign policy issues

LONDON, April 18, Graphic News: Europeans have a better opinion of President Bush than they did before the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. But they remain highly critical of the president, most of his policies, and what they see as his unilateral approach to international affairs, according to a poll by The Pew Research Center for The People & The Press.

They generally oppose his policies on steel tariffs and think the United States has not done enough to bring about peace in the Middle East.

ÒThereÕs broad support for the war in Afghanistan even though Europeans do not think we have listened enough to their point of view,Ó said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center. ÒTheyÕre almost as worried about a terrorist attack in their countries as we are.Ó

The survey -- done in partnership with the International Herald Tribune and in association with the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations -- is based on roughly 1,000 telephone interviews apiece in Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany as well as a separate poll of 1,362 interviews in the United States. 

Americans, who support Israel over the Palestinians by a 4-to-1 margin, approve of the overall U.S. approach toward the Middle East. In contrast, people in France, Germany and Italy have been mostly critical of U.S. policies in the region, with the British public split on this question. Many more Europeans than Americans express sympathy for the Palestinians, and this is especially the case among well-educated Europeans.

There are gaps of opinion over other U.S. policies as well. The presidentÕs decision to impose tariffs on imports of foreign steel is condemned in Europe, but generally favoured in the United States, at least by Americans who have an opinion on this issue. On the other hand, Europeans express overwhelming support for the presidentÕs decision to increase American aid to poor countries, while a much more modest majority of Americans (52%) approve of this action.

The survey finds major transatlantic differences over possible military action to end Saddam HusseinÕs rule in Iraq. In the United States seven in 10 Americans favour military action, while people in Britain and France were about evenly split on that question, and majorities in Italy and Germany were opposed. However, the survey does show that Europeans are potentially responsive to the idea of using force against Iraq if it is established that Baghdad is developing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction.

Majorities in all four countries disapproved of BushÕs statements in his State of the Union address about the Òaxis of evil,Ó which referred to Iraq, Iran and North Korea. Only one in three Americans disapproved.

ÒThe survey shows a wide gap in the way Americans and Western Europeans look at international policies,Ó Kohut said.
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Source: Pew Research Center