The image of the United States has deteriorated around the world in the past
year because of issues such as Iraq and prisoners at Guantanamo Bay,
according to a poll by BBC.
Disapproval of the Bush administration's performance is higher in
Australia than the global average according to the survey.
The survey found 60 per cent of Australians now hold a mainly negative
view of the US role in the world, compared with the average of 52 per
cent.
The proportion of people believing the United States has a mainly
positive influence in world affairs dropped seven points from a year ago -
to 29 per cent from 36, the results showed.
Fifty-two per cent thought US influence was mainly negative, up from 47
per cent a year ago, the poll found.
In all, 26,381 people were
questioned in 25 countries.
Almost three in four people disapproved of US policy on Iraq, while
two-thirds disapproved of US handling of terrorism
suspects.
Sixty-five per cent disapproved of US policy on last
year's war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas, 60 per cent of its
handling of Iran's nuclear program, 56 per cent of its stance on global
warming and 54 per cent of its policy on North Korea's nuclear program.
More than two-thirds believed the US military presence in the Middle
East provoked more conflict than it prevented and only 17 per cent thought
US troops there were a stabilizing force.
The poll found that the
American public also seemed to have serious doubts about US foreign
policy.
The poll, carried out between November 3 and January 9, covered
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany,
Britain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico,
Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Turkey,
United Arab Emirates and the United States.