Survey - U.S a bigger threat than al-Qaeda

Afghanistan News.Net
Tuesday 8th January, 2008

A survey of Pakistanis says the U.S military presence in the region is a far greater threat than Al Qaeda.

The survey showed that about 83 percent of Pakistanis viewed the U.S military presence in Afghanistan as a possible vital threat to their country's interests.

In comparison, only 62 percent said the terrorist group al-Qaeda constituted the same threat.

While the 62 percent group believed that Islamist militants and al-Qaeda did pose some threat to Pakistan, four out of five would not support giving American forces permission to enter Pakistan to fight al-Qaeda.

Generally, Pakistanis viewed the U.S poorly, with about two-thirds of the survey participants saying they would not trust the U.S to act responsibly in the world.

Only 27 percent feel that cooperation between Pakistan and the U.S had benefited Pakistan.

And 86 percent said the U.S aimed to weaken and divide the Islamic world.

The survey of over 900 Pakistani urban adults was conducted in mid-September last year by the United States Institute of Peace and World Public Opinion, before President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule and Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.

Experts say that if the same survey were held today, the U.S image would take a further beating.

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