The people of a number of European and Islamic countries see the US
military presence in Iraq more threatening to the Mideast than Iran, according
to a recent survey.
The survey results released here Tuesday by Pew Research Center for the
People & the Press, show citizens of Britain, France, Germany, Spain and
Russia regard the US presence in Iraq as a worse problem than Iran.
Views on U.S. troops in Iraq are more negative in countries of the Islamic
world such as Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan.
Even in Britain, the key U.S. ally in Iraq, 41 percent of the poll
respondents say the U.S. military presence in Iraq poses a threat to world peace
while only 34 percent believe that Iran is a danger.
The majority of the people in the countries surveyed say the Iraq war has
made the world more dangerous.
The survey also found overall support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism has
declined in these countries, even among close U.S. allies.
The poll was conducted in April and May.
