Decline in support for suicide attacks in Pakistan [Dawn News] 24 Jul, 2009

ravaila · #1 Friday, July 24, 2009

WASHINGTON: Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world where America’s image has not improved much after President Barack Obama entered the White House in January this year.

A survey released on Thursday showed that in 2000, before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 23 per cent Pakistanis viewed America favourably.

It went down to 10 per cent in 2002, 13 per cent in 2003, but went up to 23 per cent in 2005 and to 27 per cent in 2006. But it dipped to 15 per cent in 2007.

America’s image improved slightly to 19 per cent in 2007 but dipped again to 16 per cent in 2009.

The survey also discovered a dramatic decrease in support for suicide bombings in Pakistan. In 2002, 13 per cent Pakistanis supported suicide bombers. In 2009, the support dropped to 5 per cent.

The support for suicide bombings stood at 13 per cent in 2002 in Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and Turkey.

In 2009, it went up in Egypt to 15 per cent, remained at 13 per cent in Indonesia and decreased slightly in Jordan to 12 per cent. Turkey also displayed a dramatic decrease in support for suicide bombings, from 13 to 4 per cent.

In the Palestinian territories, however, the support for suicide bombings is disturbingly high. In 2002, a whopping 70 per cent supported the bombings which decreased slightly in 2009, to 68 per cent.

It is also high in Nigeria, 43 per cent, and Lebanon, 38 per cent. In Pakistan, President Obama is viewed more favourably than his predecessor George W. Bush, although his favourable ratings are not very high.

In 2008, only 7 per cent Pakistanis believed that President Bush would do right things in world affairs. However, 13 per cent Pakistanis, surveyed this year, believed President Obama was capable of doing right things.

The global attitude survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre also revealed that Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had a better image in Pakistan than both Presidents Bush and Obama.

Only 5 per cent Pakistanis viewed Mr Bush favourably in 2008. In 2009, 13 per cent Pakistanis said they liked Mr Obama but as many as 18 per cent also said they liked bin Laden.

Asked to give opinion on President Obama’s international policies, 33 per cent Pakistanis said they approved his decision to close down the US prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, while 17 per cent said they disapproved it.

As many as 57 per cent Pakistanis opposed President Obama’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan while 16 per cent backed it. In 2008, 25 per cent Pakistanis said they were satisfied with the national conditions but in 2009, it went down to only 9 percent.

In 2008, 41 per cent said they believed their national economy was in good shape, which went down to 22 per cent in 2009.

In 2008, 30 per cent Pakistanis believed US economic influence was negative while in 2009 their numbers increased by 10 per cent to 40 per cent. Compared to Pakistan, America’s image in other Muslim countries has improved since Mr Obama assumed power.

Most of these countries held overwhelmingly negative views of the United States in the Bush years.

The most notable increase occurred in Indonesia, where people are well aware of Mr Obama’s family ties to the country and where favourable ratings of the US nearly doubled this year.

However for the most part, opinions of the US among Muslims in the Middle East remain largely unfavourable, despite some positive movement in the numbers in Jordan and Egypt.

Animosity toward the US, however, continues to run deep and unabated in Turkey, the Palestinian territories, besides Pakistan

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