Poll Finds World
Suspicious of U.S. Motives in Iraq
Broad Support for
War on Terrorism Matched by Opposition to Military Action
By Richard Morin
Washington Post
Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 4, 2002; 3:04 PM
Suspicion about U.S. motives in Iraq and the broadly held perception
that America ignores the interests of other nations in foreign policy
disputes has tarnished the image of the United States around the world,
according to a survey of public attitudes in 44 countries by The Pew
Research Center for The People & The Press.
The poll also found broad support outside the Muslim world for
American-led efforts to combat terrorism but an "an equally strong
global consensus that the United States disregards the views of others
in carrying out its foreign policy," wrote Andrew Kohut, director of the
Pew Research Center, who headed the Global Attitudes Project.
A separate follow-up survey conducted last month in the United States
and in five allied nations revealed equally deep and conflicting views
on Iraq. A majority of those interviewed in Great Britain, France,
Germany and Russia agreed that Saddam Hussein represented a threat to
stability in the Middle East and a danger to world peace.
But this consensus quickly collapses on other critical issues currently
at play in the evolving confrontation with Iraq. Overwhelming majorities
in France, Germany and Russia oppose the use of military force to end
Saddam's rule. Even in Great Britain, America's staunchest ally on Iraq,
opinion is sharply divided: fewer than half--47 percent--favor using
force to oust Hussein while an equal proportion disagree.
And in Turkey, eight in 10 opposed allowing the U.S. and its allies to
use bases in their country to launch strikes against Iraq. On Tuesday,
Turkish Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis gave the United States conditional
approval to bomb Iraq from bases in Turkey but only if United Nations
inspections fail.
There is even sharp disagreement among these key U.S. allies whether
Iraq or the Middle East poses the greater domestic danger. In no country
except the United States was Hussein's continued rule seen by a majority
as "the greater international threat to our country."
This uneasiness over Iraq arises, in large part, from deep suspicions of
U.S. motives for using military force to remove Hussein, the survey
found.
When asked whether the United States was more interested in achieving
stability in the region or more interested in controlling Iraqi oil
reserves, majorities in Russia (76 percent), France (75 percent), and
Germany (54 percent) said "the U.S. wants to control Iraqi oil." In
Great Britain, the public was evenly divided on the question.
A total of 38,263 randomly adults in 44 countries were interviewed for
the Global Attitudes survey, which was translated into 63 languages.
Sample sizes in individual countries ranged from 500 in the Czech
Republic to 3,000 in China. Former Secretary of State Madeleine K.
Albright chaired the committee that oversaw the project. Most interviews
were conducted face-to-face in the respondent's home. In some countries,
interviewing was restricted to just a few major cities. In Egypt, for
example, all of the interviews were conducted in Cairo.
Another 6,056 adults were interviewed in the United States, Britain,
France, Germany, Russian and Turkey for the separate Iraq survey.
While most nations have a favorable view of America and Americans, the
survey also found that "discontent with the United States has grown
around the world over the past two years," Kohut wrote. "Images 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."
At the same time, U.S. technology and popular culture were widely
admired, with substantial majorities in most non-Muslim countries
embracing American music, movies and television.
According to the poll, the United States is rated favorably by
majorities in 35 of the 42 countries where government officials allowed
the question to be asked. But, cautioned Kohut, "the U.S. is viewed only
somewhat favorably in virtually all of these countries. And negative
opinions of this country have increased in most of the nations where
trend benchmarks are available."
The image of the United States has taken a particular beating in
predominantly Muslim countries as well as those near Afghanistan and
Iraq, the poll found. Three in four residents of Jordan, the fourth
largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, have a negative image of the
United States. In Pakistan and Egypt, seven in 10 expressed an
unfavorable view.
"In Jordan, Pakistan and Egypt, the intensity of this dislike is
strong--more than 50 percent in each country have a very unfavorable
view," Kohut and his research team reported.
Even more troublesome, Kohut said, were the rapidly eroding views of the
United States expressed by residents of Turkey, a NATO ally that is
seeking entrance into the European Union.
Two years ago, a majority of residents had a favorable view of the
United States; today, three in 10 do. At the same time, more than
half--55 percent now said they had a negative view of the United States
and more than four in 10 felt that way strongly.
Kohut said the one notable exception to this rising tide of
anti-Americanism: "Our new friend and ally, Uzbekistan," a major
beneficiary of U.S. assistance during and after the war in Afghanistan.
Nearly nine in 10--85 percent--had a favorable view of the United
States.
The wide-ranging survey also found that President George W. Bush and
Russian President Vladimir Putin stand "head and shoulders above" other
world leaders in terms of their personal popularity. Seven in 10
Americans said Bush was having a "good influence" on their country while
more than eight in 10 said Putin was having a similarly positive impact
on Russia.
But the survey also found broad dissatisfaction with the way things are
going; citizens "in nearly every country in every region surveyed say
they are unhappy with the state of their nation," Kohut wrote. Those
views, he said, reflected broad discontent with the current state of the
national economy.
In only three of the 44 countries surveyed did a majority of residents
say they were generally satisfied with the state of their country:
Canada (56 percent), Uzbekistan, (69 percent) and Vietnam (69 percent).
In the United States, barely four in 10--41 percent--expressed
satisfaction.
"As 2002 draws to a close, the world is not a happy place," Kohut wrote.
"At a time when trade and technology have linked the world more closely
together than ever before, almost all national publics view the fortunes
of the world as drifting downward. A smaller world, our surveys
indicate, is not a happier one."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9268-2002Dec4.html
