December 5, 2002. Copyright 2002. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

Global survey shows growing discontent over U.S.

LONDON, December 5, Graphic News: Negative opinions of the United States have grown around the world in the past two years but most people still like most things American, according to a survey released Wednesday. 

The Pew Research Center conducted the survey of more than 38,000 people in 44 countries, called ÒWhat the World Thinks in 2002.Ó

ÒDespite an initial outpouring of public sympathy for America following the September 11 terrorist attacks, discontent with the United States has grown around the world over the past two years,Ó says the Pew Institute. ÒImages of the U.S. have been tarnished in all types of nations: among longtime NATO allies, in developing countries, in Eastern Europe and, most dramatically, in Muslim societies.Ó

The survey -- chaired by former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright, and conducted between July and October -- asked people how they view their lives, their nations, the world and the United States.

The greatest dislike of the U.S. is in the Muslim Middle Eastern countries and central Asia. Just three in 10 people in Turkey, and one-tenth of PakistanÕs population have a favourable view of the U.S., according to the survey. 

But global attitudes towards the U.S. are mixed, according to the Pew Center's Carroll Doherty, one of the surveyÕs authors. He said: ÒPeople have a dual view of the U.S. They greatly admire its technology and science and like the exports of popular culture, but they do not like the bigness of America. There is a sense the U.S. is too big and too powerful at this point, but people donÕt want a second superpower.Ó

On other topics, the spread of disease was named the top global problem in more countries than any other international threat. Eight out of 10 countries in Africa said HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases were the key threats to them. Fear of religious and ethnic violence ranked second, with nuclear weapons running third. 

People in the United States, Canada and Western Europe expressed a greater satisfaction with their lives than did people in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. Canada, Uzbekistan and Vietnam were the only countries in which a majority of respondents had a favourable view of their nationÕs condition. Vietnam was the only country in which a majority of respondents -- 51 percent -- said they had a positive view of the state of the world. 

A follow-up six-nation survey on the threat from Iraq found that people in France, Russia and Germany oppose a war to oust Saddam Hussein.

Two out of three Americans said the U.S. is willing to use force because it believes Iraq is a threat and British respondents were evenly split on using force to remove Saddam.

An overwhelming majority of Turks surveyed said they opposed allowing the United States and its allies to use bases in Turkey for military action against Iraq. 

Majorities of those surveyed in France, Germany and Russia said they thought a desire on the United StatesÕ part to control Iraqi oil, not the belief that Iraq is a threat, would be the primary reason behind any U.S. military action against Baghdad. Forty-four percent of British respondents agreed. 
/ENDS

Source: The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press