|
Majority believe terror threat rose after Iraq war: Poll
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-02-28 16:09 Most people in 33 out of 35
countries worldwide believe that the US-led war in Iraq has increased the threat
of terrorism, a survey for BBC World Service radio suggested.
An average of 60 percent in the 33 nations agreed that the March 2003
invasion had increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks, with just 12 percent
believing the opposite. A further 15 percent thought it had no effect.
The survey of 41,856 people by Canadian pollsters GlobeScan and the US
Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) also claimed there was overall
support in 20 countries for US forces to withdraw in the next few months.
But 21 of the 34 countries asked appeared in favour of troops staying in the
region until stability is achieved, if the new Iraqi government requested it.
PIPA director Steven Kull said that despite the administration of US
President George W. Bush framing the intervention in Iraq as a means of fighting
terrorism, "all around the world most people view it as having increased the
likelihood of terrorist attacks.
"The near unanimity of this assessment among countries is remarkable in
public opinion polling."
Other responses suggested that 21 countries thought the removal of former
Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was a mistake; overall, 45 percent were against
removing him from power while 36 percent supported the action.
Greatest criticism of the move came from Argentina (74 percent), with strong
opposition from Spain (65 percent) and Germany (61 percent).
In Britain, whose government backed the US-led campaign and still has about
8,000 troops in southern Iraq, 40 percent thought removing Saddam was a mistake;
in the United States, the figure was 32 percent and in Iraq, 23 percent.
Strongest support for toppling Saddam came from Iraqi respondents (74
percent), Brazil and Poland (65 percent), the United States (60 percent) and
Britain (49 percent).
In Britain, 77 percent of those questioned thought the terrorist threat had
risen since the war, with 55 percent in the United States saying likewise and 75
percent in Iraq.
China topped the list at 85 percent, followed by South Korea (84 percent) and
Egypt (83 percent).
Support for troops to stay appeared more constant: Iraq (49 percent), Britain
(56 percent) while American and Afghani respondents were most in favour on 58
percent.
The countries polled were: Afghanistan; Argentina; Australia; Brazil;
Britain; Canada; Chile; China; Democratic Republic of Congo; Egypt; Finland;
France; Germany; Ghana; India; Indonesia; Iran; Iraq; Italy; Kenya; Mexico;
Nigeria; Philippines; Poland; Russia; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; South Africa; South
Korea; Spain; Sri Lanka; Tanzania; Turkey; the United States; and Zimbabwe.
|
