Global Image of the U.S. Is Worsening, Survey Finds

Security crackdown begins in Baghdad


June 14, 2006
Global Image of the U.S. Is Worsening, Survey Finds
By BRIAN KNOWLTON

WASHINGTON, June 13 — As the war in Iraq continues for a fourth year, the global image of America has slipped further, even among people in some countries closely allied with the United States, a new opinion poll has found.

Favorable views of the United States dropped sharply over the past year in Spain, where only 23 percent said they had a positive opinion, down from 41 percent last year, according to the survey. It was done in 15 nations, including the United States, this spring by the Washington-based Pew Research Center.

Other countries where positive views dropped significantly include India (56 percent, down from 71 percent); Russia (43 percent, down from 52 percent); and Indonesia (30 percent, down from 38 percent). In Turkey, only 12 percent said they held a favorable opinion, down from 23 percent last year. ...

Support for the fight against terrorism led by the United States is also down, Pew found.

Although strong majorities in several countries expressed worries about Iran's nuclear intentions, in 13 of 15 countries polled, most people said the war in Iraq posed more of a danger to world peace. Russians held that view by a 2-to-1 margin. ...

The polling was conducted before the completion last week of the Iraqi government or the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. ...

Pew surveyed 16,710 people from March 31 to May 14 in Britain, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the United States. The margin of error was two to four percentage points in every country except Britain and Germany, where it was six points.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/14/world/14pew.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Mr. Asterisk, Mr. Asshole, who, by the way, apparently wouldn't know blind man if he saw one and called on one at a press conference.

:hi:

Still, thanks for the welcome.