International poll ranks Bush a threat to world peace
The Associated PressPublished: November 3, 2006
TORONTO: A majority of people in three countries with close ties to the U.S. — Britain, Canada and Mexico — consider President George W. Bush a threat to world peace, ranking the U.S. president right up there with the leaders of two countries he has labeled part of the "axis of evil" — North Korea's Kim Jong Il and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"It is striking that these are America's closest allies and the populations are going, 'Whoa, this guy is a danger to the world,'" said Paul Adams, executive director of Ottawa-based EKOS Research which released the poll results Friday.
"These are allies and if the populations of their countries are saying George Bush is a threat to peace, that's a pretty damning statement about Bush's public diplomacy in the world."
Al-Qaida terror network leader Osama bin Laden was viewed as the greatest threat to world peace among those polled in Britain, Canada and Mexico. In Israel, respondents viewed Ahmadinejad, who has called for their country to be wiped off the map, as the biggest threat.
Today in Americas
A step back to a father's counsel
Globalist: In more fluid Mideast, what now for the U.S.?
Grief binds unit's 2 worldsIn Britain, 91 percent said they considered bin Laden a great or moderate danger to peace, while 78 percent said that about Bush, the poll found. Kim, whose country tested an atomic bomb last month, was considered a danger by 82 percent, Lebanese Hezbollah militia leader Hassan Nasrallah by 78 percent, and Ahmadinejad by 74 percent.
In Canada, bin Laden was seen by 88 percent of the people surveyed as a great or moderate threat, followed in order by Kim (86 percent), Ahmadinejad (77 percent), and Bush and Nasrallah tied at 74 percent. Eighty-three percent of Mexicans ranked Bush as a great or moderate threat, putting him behind only bin Laden at 88 percent.
Bush fared well only in Israel where just 23 percent of those polled saw the U.S. president as a great or moderate threat. Ahmadinejad was perceived as a great or moderate threat by 92 percent of Israelis surveyed, slightly ahead of bin Laden (89 percent).
Majorities in Britain, Canada and Mexico — 69 percent, 62 percent and 57 percent, respectively — said U.S. foreign policy has made the world more dangerous since 2001, according to the poll. In Israel, only 36 percent said Bush's actions had made the world more dangerous.
Most Mexicans (68 percent), Israelis (60 percent) and Canadians (57 percent) believe the United States will "intervene militarily" in Iran or North Korea in an effort to block the proliferation of nuclear weapons. British respondents were not asked the question.
"George Bush has developed a very bellicose image abroad," said EKOS President Frank Graves. "Immediately after September 11, attitudes were almost universally supportive. Today, Bush is seen as a sorcerer's apprentice on the world stage, bringing calamity wherever he goes."
The survey reaffirms the results of recent polls conducted in the United States, which indicate a majority of Americans oppose Bush's Iraq policy.
"As we approach next week's midterm elections in the United States, the polls show pretty clearly that many Americans are dissatisfied with the Bush foreign policy, particularly in Iraq," Graves said. "Now we have a clear confirmation that Bush's policies are even more unpopular abroad among the citizens of countries with very close ties to the United States."
In Britain, where Prime Minister Tony Blair's popularity has been hit hard by the Iraq war, 71 percent said the conflict was not justified. Eighty-nine percent of Mexicans, 73 percent of Canadians and 34 percent of Israelis agreed. Fifty-nine percent of Israelis said the 2003 invasion was justified.
The poll, commissioned by the Toronto Star and La Presse in Canada, The Guardian in Britain, Reforma in Mexico and Haaretz in Israel, surveyed 1,000 people in each country at the end of October. The margin of error was 3 percentage points.
_____
EKOS Research: ekos.com |
