Thursday, June 25, 2015

Global publics support US and fight against IS: poll

Global publics support US and fight against IS: poll: Countries across the world have a favorable view of the US and its fight against the Islamic State radical group, according to a Pew Research Center report.

America's use of torture, though, was widely condemned, with people in the 40 countries included in the study declaring the practice against suspected terrorists was not justified.

Internationally, the global median of public perception of the United States was 69 percent favorable and 24 percent unfavorable. The US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against IS fighters drew 62 percent support and 24 percent opposition.

Those numbers were in stark contrast to the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, which was generally viewed unfavorably abroad.

But the US scored less favorably when people were questioned about what Pew called "the harsh interrogation methods used against suspected terrorists in the wake of 9/11 that many consider torture".