Rise in dislike of US among Muslims

Negative opinions of the US have risen sharply in parts of the Muslim world in the past two years, particularly in Turkey and Pakistan, according to a survey of global public opinion.

Just three in 10 people in Turkey and one-tenth of Pakistan's population have a favourable view of the US, according to the Pew Research Center survey, conducted between July and October.

The survey questioned more than 38,000 people in 44 countries.

The Turkish population is divided on whether Saddam Hussein is a threat to the Middle East's stability. Less than half think he should be removed from power, according to an additional survey of six countries on Iraq carried out last month.

"The most serious problem facing the US abroad is its very poor public image in the Muslim world, especially in the Middle East conflict area," the survey said. People in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Pakistan and Egypt had particularly negative views of the US. But in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, six out of ten people had a favourable view.

"Huge" majorities in France, Germany and Russia oppose the use of military force to end Saddam Hussein's rule although there is strong agreement that Iraq is a threat to Middle East stability and world peace.

But French, Germans and Russians see the Israeli- Palestinian conflict as a bigger threat to Middle Eastern stability than Mr Hussein.

The greatest dislike of the US is in the Muslim Middle Eastern countries and central Asia. But global attitudes towards the US are mixed, according to the Pew Center's Carroll Doherty, one of the survey's authors.

He said: "People have a dual view of the US. They greatly admire its technology and science and like the exports of popular culture but they do not like the bigness of America. There is a sense the US is too big and too powerful at this point, but people don't want a second superpower."

The Pew Global Attitudes survey was chaired by Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State. It asked people how they view their lives, their nations, the world and the US.

President George W. Bush and Russian president Vladimir Putin are the two most popular leaders. Five in ten Britons believe prime minister Tony Blair is a positive influence on the country.

The spread of disease is seen as the biggest global problem. Eight out of 10 countries in Africa said Aids and infectious diseases were the key threats to them.

Concern about religious and ethnic violence and nuclear weapons rank highly. The economy is the biggest national worry, with crime and political corruption also strong concerns.