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| India-Pakistan |
| 59 pc Pakistanis view US as enemy: PEW report |
| 2010-07-30 |
| The image of the United States remains overwhelmingly negative in Pakistan, according to the 2010 Global Attitudes Project report released by PEW Research Centre. Six in 10 Pakistanis -- 59 percent -- viewed the US as Pakistan's enemy, decreased only slightly from the 64 percent reported in 2009. Opinions regarding the US-Pakistan relations are mixed, with more than half of Pakistanis saying the relations have improved in recent years, while a significant majority of the Pakistanis believe it is important for relations between the two countries to improve. More than eight in 10 Pakistanis -- 84 percent -- consider China a partner, saying they have a favourable opinion of the Asian superpower. However, Punjabis have been seen to be inclined towards anti-American sentiment. Those who live in Punjab are far more likely to consider the US an enemy of Pakistan than those in other regions. About seven in 10 Punjabis -- 69 percent -- express this opinion, compared to 52 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 40 percent in Sindh. PML-N supporters: The opinion that the US is an enemy of Pakistan is also much more prevalent among the Pakistanis affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) than among those with the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). About 72 percent in the PML-N consider the US an enemy, nine percent say it is a partner, and 12 percent are of the view that it is neither. Less than half -- 46 percent -- in the PPP see the US as an enemy, while 15 percent consider it a partner and 21 percent say it is neither. Obama: US President Barack Obama receives overwhelmingly low marks in Pakistan. Only eight percent express confidence in the US president doing the right thing in world affairs, falling from the 13 percent in 2009. Forty-eight percent disapprove of Obama's policies, nine percent approve, and 42 percent say they do not know. The people of Pakistan see India as a greater threat to their country than the Taliban or al Qaeda with 74 percent viewing India as a serious threat, 54 percent considering the Taliban, and 38 percent viewing al Qaeda. However, Pakistanis have become somewhat less concerned about the threat posed by India than they were in the spring of 2009, when 83 percent considered India a serious threat. Seventy-two percent, in fact, support improved relations with their neighbour and also favour greater economic and political ties between the two countries. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 That's why they are leftists in the first place---you don't have to think. Quite a few Rantburgers are former leftists, g(r)omgoru -- I've found their "come to Jesus" stories fascinating. Ignorance and unwillingness to think are two very different things. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-07-30 17:04 |
| #8 some of the more naive 'why do they hate us' types might be forced to do some serious thinking. Nope. That's why they are leftists in the first place---you don't have to think. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-07-30 16:37 |
| #7 That's fair. I see them as the enemy, too. |
| Posted by: Omolump Turkeyneck6383 2010-07-30 15:01 |
| #6 I wish this article would bein the NYT or WaPo. A lot of lefties would blame Bush but some of the more naive 'why do they hate us' types might be forced to do some serious thinking. |
| Posted by: lord garth 2010-07-30 10:15 |
| #5 %59 eh? pretty surprised that it came in that low. maybe it is %59 actually actively working against US interests, while most of the rest view it as an enemy but are currently unable to contribute to the war effort. |
| Posted by: abu do you love 2010-07-30 07:26 |
| #4 How about 50 percent of Pakistan is supporting terrorism while the other 50 percent nods its head and does a dog and pony show to show support for anti-terror while the ruling elite are worried about losing power and try to enforce their control creating more internal strife while various parts of the country, through tribal competition and contention, create more strife and other parts accuse each other of being heretics. |
| Posted by: miscellaneous 2010-07-30 02:50 |
| #3 Alternate headline "41% of Pakistanis understand the value of discretion". |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-07-30 01:26 |
| #2 You might as well add our Muslim President to the total stats. |
| Posted by: borgboy 2010-07-30 00:42 |
| #1 From last Sunday's White House Security Advisor statement: U.S. support for Pakistan will continue to be focused on building Pakistani capacity to root out violent extremist groups, while supporting the aspirations of the Pakistani people. The majority of Paks want the US to die, and the current White House is working on that project also. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-07-30 00:41 |