War on Terror fails to dent CIA phantom Al-Qaeda

[TonyGosling]

U.S. `War on Terror' Against Al-Qaeda Seen as Failure in Poll
By Ed Johnson

Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. ``war on terror'' has failed to weaken its prime target al-Qaeda, according to a majority of people surveyed in a global opinion poll for the British Broadcasting Corp.

Thirty percent of those questioned said President George W. Bush's campaign has made the terrorist network stronger, while 29 percent said it had no effect. Only 22 percent said al-Qaeda has been weakened.

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``Despite its overwhelming military power, America's war against al-Qaeda is widely seen as having achieved nothing better than a stalemate and many believe that it has even strengthened al-Qaeda,'' Steven Kull, director of the U.S.-based Program on International Policy Attitudes, said in a statement accompanying the poll released late yesterday.

The Bush administration began the campaign seven years ago after the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S., leading an international coalition that toppled Afghanistan's Taliban regime for failing to hand over al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

U.S. intelligence agencies say the network now has a haven in tribal areas in neighboring Pakistan from which it directs the Taliban insurgency and plans attacks against the West. There have been no confirmed sightings of bin Laden since he escaped U.S.-led forces in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan in December 2001.

Insurgents in Iraq

The U.S. says the fight against al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents in Iraq is central to the campaign against terrorism. More than 4,000 American soldiers have been killed since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The survey of 23,937 people was conducted for the BBC's World Service in 23 nations between July 8 and Sept. 12 by GlobeScan Inc. and the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes. No margin of error was given.

Asked who is ``winning the conflict between al-Qaeda and the United States,'' the predominant view in 15 countries was neither. In Kenya, Nigeria and Turkey, the dominant view was that the U.S. is winning.

In Pakistan, where the military is fighting militants in the northwestern tribal region, 21 percent of those polled said al-Qaeda was winning.

Across all the countries, on average 10 percent said al- Qaeda was winning, 22 percent put the U.S. ahead and 47 percent said neither side was leading.

In the U.S., where the campaign against terrorism is a central issue in the presidential election, 56 percent said neither side was winning the conflict. Eight percent put al- Qaeda ahead and 31 percent the government.

Thirty-four percent of U.S. respondents said al-Qaeda has been weakened by the ``war on terror,'' 26 percent said there had been no effect and 33 percent said the network was stronger.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: September 28, 2008 23:29 EDT