Poll Finds Muslims Opposed To Attacks On U.S. Civilians, But Want U.S. Troops Off Muslim Soil

Thursday, February 26, 2009
Linda Young - AHN Editor Washington, D.C. (AHN) - A study of public opinion in predominantly Muslim countries has found that large majorities renounce violent attacks on civilians to further political goals, however, majorities also support al Qaeda's goal of pushing the United States to remove its military forces from all Muslim countries.
International collaborative organization WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted the poll with with support from the START Consortium at the University of Maryland.
Other findings in the survey were unsettling and might cause the Obama administration to pause as it plans to send more troops onto Muslim soil.
Pollsters found that in some cases substantial numbers of Muslims, even majorities, approved of attacks on U.S. troops in Muslim countries.
"The U.S. faces a conundrum. U.S. efforts to fight terrorism with an expanded military presence in Muslim countries appear to have elicited a backlash and to have bred some sympathy for al Qaeda, even as most reject its terrorist methods," Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, said in a statement.
This survey was part of an ongoing study of Egypt, Pakistan, and Indonesia, with additional polling in Turkey, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, Azerbaijan and Nigeria.
Nearly seven in 10 respondents say they disapprove of attacks on American civilians.
From 67 to 89 percent of respondents rejected bombings and assassinations carried out on American civilians to achieve political or religious goals saying such attacks were not justified and are counterproductive to the goals of the attackers.
However, respondents were so opposed to having U.S. troops on Muslim soil that large majorities were not opposed to attacks on American soldiers if they were stationed in Muslim countries. Large majorities supported such attacks, presumably as a means of pressuring the U.S. to remove its troops from Muslim countries.
That strong opposition to having U.S. troops on Muslim soil also translated to large majorities supporting al Qaeda's goal of getting them out of the region. That finding lends credence to the argument of many people who were opposed to sending troops to the region because they feared it would only strengthen al Qaeda and lend some credibility to the organization.
Pollsters found 87 percent of Egyptians, 64 percent of Indonesians and 60 percent of Pakistanis were in favor of all U.S. troops leaving Muslim countries.
And it wasn't only having U.S. troops on Muslim soil that created ire. A majority of Muslims polled were also against having U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf. According to the survey, on average, 66 percent said it was a bad idea; only 13 percent called it a good idea. Opposition was largest in Egypt at 91 percent and among Palestinians at 90 percent, but it was also strong in NATO ally Turkey where 77 percent of Muslims polled were opposed to having the U.S. Navy in the Gulf.
Pollsters discovered that attitudes were shaped by how respondents viewed America and its intentions, with large majorities saying they think the U.S. is anti-Muslim and that the U.S. is out to divide the Muslim world with the goal of economic domination and controlling oil in the Middle East.