US in Iraq greatest danger to global peace?

The continued US presence in Iraq is frequently seen as a greater threat to world peace than the possibility of Iran having nuclear weapons, according to an annual survey of global attitudes conducted by a leading, US independent opinion research group.

The Pew Research Center poll, which covered 17,000 people in 15 European, Asian, and African countries in March and May, found that while anti-Americanism showed signs of abating last year, favorable opinions of the US have fallen in most of 15 countries this year. Only Britain, where support rose one percent from last year, Pakistan, and China showed signs of improvement.

America's global image has again slipped and support for the war on terrorism has declined even among close US allies like Japan. The war in Iraq is a continuing drag on opinions of the United States, not only in predominantly Muslim countries but in Europe and Asia as well. And despite growing concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions, the US presence in Iraq is cited at least as often as Iran - and in many countries much more often - as a danger to world peace.

The Pew survey has been carried out annually since 1999, and has shown a continued decline in support for the US. Reuters reports, however, that this year's poll also showed that public opinion in the US and many of its allies reflects shared concern over the Hamas victory in the Palestinian elections and increased opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

The poll was published after the United States shifted tactics on Iran, offering late last month to join European-led negotiations over curbing its nuclear programs, which Iran says are for peaceful power generation.

With people worldwide overwhelmingly believing Iran is seeking to build an atomic bomb, fears over the Islamic republic have tripled in some Western countries. The Muslim world is less fearful of Iran but its concerns have also risen, representing, for example, a great danger to 19 percent of Jordanians, the poll showed.

It's when the Pew Center asked about the greatest dangers to world peace, however, that the US did poorly. For instance, in Britain, America's closest ally in the war in Iraq, 34 percent of people polled cited Iran as the greatest threat, but 45 percent cited the continued US presence in Iraq.

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The Guardian reports that polling shows Americans are aware of the US image problem abroad, and that it had become a political issue, "with Republicans saying it doesn't matter as long as the correct policies are being pursued overseas, while Democrats argue that repairing the country's image and relationships will be a priority for the next president in 2009."

"It's all [because of] Iraq," Carroll Doherty, associate director of the Pew Center, said. He added that it was a sign of how "dangerous Iraq is to the US image" that, in spite of common cause between the US and Europeans on Iran, there had been no improvement in the American position in Europe.

Mr. Doherty said: "Short-term measures do have an effect. The outpouring of US tsunami aid helped in Indonesia and India but that faded quickly, and now we see US aid for Pakistan earthquake victims only helping at the margins." Favorable ratings of the US in India dropped over the year from 71 percent to 56 percent.

The International Herald Tribune reports that most of those who participated in the survey felt good about Americans in general, even if they harbored strong negative attitudes towards President Bush. In only two countries, India and Nigeria, did a majority of survey respondents express confidence about Mr. Bush's global leadership.

"Obviously, when you get many more people saying that the US presence in Iraq is a threat to world peace as say that about Iran, it's a measure of how much Iraq is sapping good will to the United States," said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center.

In another finding that will concern Washington, support for the war on terror is also declining in most of the surveyed countries. The poll indicates that this is true even in countries that have experienced terrorist attacks, like Britain and Spain. In Britain the support for the war on terror has fallen from 63 percent in 2004 to 49 percent. In Spain, only 19 percent of those surveyed now support the war on terror, down from a high of 76 percent. Only in India and Russia did a majority support the US-led fight against terrorism.

The decline in America's image is also a concern to US businesses, reports Travel Daily News, a newsletter for the international travel trade market. Roger Dow, the US president and CEO of the Travel Industry Association of America, said, "The implications – economic and diplomatic – are considerable."

There are major issues impacting our global standing, such as the ongoing fight against terrorism and conflict in Iraq. But solutions do not need to be limited to these areas. In fact, we need to find a different way to present ourselves to the world - one that goes beyond the headlines of the day.

We embrace Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes' recent call for enhanced 'people-to-people' communications. It is the American people who represent the best of America – our ideals, spirit and way of life.

Other findings from the global survey show:

• There has been a marked change in views of the Middle East conflict in both Germany and France. In both countries, increasing numbers sympathize with Israel; Germans now side with Israel over the Palestinians by about two-to-one (37 percent to 18 percent). Even in France, which The Jerusalem Post reports has traditionally been a strong supporter of the Palestinians, the public is now more evenly divided in its sympathies.
• Positive views of the American people – along with the US – have declined in Spain. Just 37 percent of the Spanish feel favorably toward Americans, down from 55 percent last year.
• Negative views of France have increased over the past year, especially in Muslim countries. In Turkey, 61 percent feel unfavorably toward France, up from 51 percent last year.

Also...
• Iraq amnesty plan may cover attacks on US military (Washington Post)
• Obey your country's laws, Iraqi cleric urges Muslims (CBC News)
• Afghan forces launch anti-Taliban push (AP)
• Feedback appreciated. E-mail Tom Regan .