World crisis of confidence in Bush

From The Times

June 28, 2007

World crisis of confidence in Bush



Tom Baldwin in Washington

Global distrust of President Bush is mutating into an almost worldwide sentiment of antiAmericanism, according to the world's most comprehensive poll of international opinion, published yesterday.

The Pew Institute's survey of 45,239 people in 47 nations shows support for the US has dropped sharply among traditional allies in the West, including Britain, as well as substantial declines elsewhere in Latin America, Eastern Europe, China and the Middle East.

It found 'a broad and deepening dislike of American values and a global backlash against the spread of American ideas' -- although US technology and popular culture is still held in high regard.

Pluralities in most countries now express distaste for notions of democracy promoted by the US, blame it for contributing to global inequality and 'hurting the world's environment', while also disliking the way American businesses operate.

Hostility towards the US is strongest in Muslim countries and Western Europe, where people also show little sign of being impressed by alternative world powers such as Russia and China.

Madeleine Albright, the former US Secretary of State and the co-chairwoman of the Pew project, yesterday spoke of a growth of 'nihilism' and the 'disarray' of international governance. 'This is not an optimistic report,' she said.

Mr Bush yesterday sought to reach out to Muslims with a speech at Washington's Islamic Centre in which he promised new initiatives to rally moderate voices in the Arab world. He said: 'I have invested the heart of my presidency in helping Muslims fight terrorism and claim their liberty.' But the Pew survey showed that a global crisis in confidence over Mr Bush's handling of world affairs was most apparent among Muslims in the Middle East, where many said that they had more faith in Osama bin Laden.

In the Palestinian territories, 91 per cent said that they had little or no confidence in Mr Bush 'to do the right thing', while in Turkey ' a member of Nato ' just 2 per cent expressed even limited confidence in Mr Bush's leadership.

Although other Muslims, particularly those in Africa, remain more positive at least four fifths of the public in Spain, France and Germany have little or no confidence in the US President, a sentiment shared by 70 per cent of British people surveyed.

There has also been a sharp drop in support for the War on Terror. Although 70 per cent of Americans are still behind it, support in Britain has declined from 69 per cent in 2002 to 49 per cent in 2006 and just 38 per cent this year.