Bush finds himself on evil pedestal

LONDON: George W Bush finds himself in the very company he considers the ‘axis of evil’, with some of the US president’s allies believing him to be more dangerous than his worst enemies.

A recent international poll shows that the US’s closest neighbours and allies think that after Osama bin Laden, Bush is the greatest threat to world peace and more dangerous than either Kim Jong-il of North Korea or Mahmoud Ahmedinejad of Iran.

The survey, which was carried out simultaneously in the UK, Canada, Mexico and Israel by four national newspapers, suggests that Bush is mistrusted and frightens voters in countries with traditionally strong links with the US.

In Britain, 69 per cent said they believe US policy has made the world more dangerous since 2001, with only 7 per cent deeming action in Iraq and Afghanistan as a positive influence on global security.

This opinion was mirrored in Canada and Mexico, and even in Israel, which depends on US support for its existence. Only 25 per cent of Israelis polled feel that Bush has made the world safer.

Seventy-one per cent of Britons now say the Iraq invasion was unjustified, as do 89 per cent of Mexicans and 73 per cent of Canadians. Voters do not believe that America has helped to advance democracy in developing countries either.

With trust in Bush and his motives at its lowest, the US president finds himself outranked by only Osama bin Laden. Eighty-seven per cent of Britons consider the Qaeda leader the greatest danger to peace, with Bush close on his heels at 75 per cent.

That is higher than the evil percentage garnered by Kim (69 per cent), Ahmedinejad (62 per cent) and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah (65 per cent). Only 10 per cent of British voters feel that Bush poses no danger at all.