Associated Press Writer
October 15, 2004
LONDON —
America's reputation around the world is hurting, according to a series of
coordinated polls published Friday from 10 countries, including many of the
United States' closest allies.
In eight of the countries where the
surveys commissioned by major newspapers were conducted, more people said their
view of America had worsened in the past two to three years than improved. That
question was asked in nine countries.
By big margins, those questioned
said the war in Iraq did not aid the global fight against terrorism.
And in eight out of 10 nations, those polled said -- often in landslide
proportions -- that they hoped to see Democrat John Kerry beat President Bush in
next month's election. Bush won backing from a majority of respondents only in
Russia and Israel.
The polls were conducted in Canada, France, Britain,
Spain, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Mexico, Israel and Russia, with results to
be published in the participating newspapers on Friday. Not all questions were
asked in e very country.
On average, 57 percent of those questioned
said their opinions of America had worsened over the past two to three years,
compared with 20 percent who said their view had improved. That question was
asked in nine of the countries, but not in Russia.
Seventy-four percent
of Japanese, 70 percent of French, 67 percent of South Koreans, 64 percent of
Canadians and 60 percent of Spaniards said they had a worse opinion of America
now than two to three years ago.
Only in Israel did more people say
their view of the United States had improved than worsened in the past two to
three years.
In that period, which began just after the Sept. 11,
2001, attacks, the United States has led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. While
much of the international community backed the invasion to oust the Taliban,
Bush's decision to invade Iraq has fueled anger around the world.
However, many of those polled separated their feelings about the U.S.
government from their views of the Americ an people. Sixty-eight percent said
they had a favorable opinion of Americans.
Asked whether American
democracy remained a model for other nations, 52 percent of those asked said yes
and 42 percent said no.
In Britain, Mexico and South Korea, more people
thought the United States was no longer a model, while in Canada, Russia, Japan
and Israel, majorities said it was.
Fifty-nine percent of people
questioned in seven nations -- including Britain, America's closest ally in Iraq
-- said the war there was not helping the world fight against terrorism, while
35 percent said it was, as Bush contends.
People in all 10 countries
were asked who they hoped to see win the White House on Nov. 2, and the result
will make Kerry wish they had a vote.
The Democrat was favored by
healthy to enormous majorities in eight of the nations -- 72 percent supported
him, compared with 16 percent for Bush in France.
In South Korea, it
was 68 percent for Kerry and 18 percent for Bush; in C anada, 60 percent to 20
percent; in Spain, 58 percent to 13 percent; in Australia 54 percent to 28
percent; and in Britain 50 percent to 22 percent.
Bush came out on top
in Israel by a margin of 50 percent to 24 percent and in Russia, 52 percent to
48 percent.
The newspapers involved were La Presse in Canada, Le Monde
in France, the Guardian in Britain, El Pais in Spain, Asahi Shimbun in Japan,
JoongAng Ilbo in South Korea, the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age in
Australia, Reforma in Mexico, Haaretz in Israel and the Moscow News in Russia.
The sample sizes in the 10 polls varied from 522 people in Israel to
1,417 in Australia. Margins of error were mostly around 3 percentage points,
but varied between 2.6 and 4.38.
The polls were conducted on different
dates from September through early October.
(UPDATES grafs 2, 7, 8 to
correct that people in eight countries, sted seven, say views of America have
worsened, per corrected information from newspaper; minor edits t hroughout.)