Bush most disliked global leader in Arab world, says survey

Washington: A new poll on Thursday underscored deep Arab unhappiness with the United States but said the negative image could be repaired if Washington brokered a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace agreement.

The survey of 3,850 people in six Arab countries rated President George W. Bush as the most disliked world leader, while the United States and Israel were viewed as significantly greater threats than Iran.

Sixty-seven per cent of the respondents said the United States could improve its image by brokering a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement.

A smaller number - 33 per cent - said this image change could happen if Washington withdrew its troops from Iraq.

The results show the Arab-Israeli conflict "remains the central prism through which people are evaluating the United States", even when the international focus is on the Iraq war and nuclear crisis with Iran, said Shibley Telhami of the Saban Centre for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.

Nasrallah popular

Major powers recently backed a US push to revive Israeli-Palestinian talks, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice planning to travel to the region next week.

Based on face-to-face interviews conducted for the Saban Centre by the Zogby International polling firm last November and December, attitudes were surveyed in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and the UAE. Respondents were asked to identify which world leader outside of their own country they disliked most. Bush was named by 38 per cent, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by 11 per cent, current Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert by 7 per cent and British Prime Minister Tony Blair by 3 per cent.

The most admired leader was Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah with 14 per cent.