Global anger at US 'growing'

The trend is most dramatic in Muslim societies, and some of the strongest anti-Americanism is in Egypt and Pakistan, according to the study by the US-based Pew Research Center.

After 38,000 interviews in 44 countries, researchers concluded that in the past two years discontent had also grown in countries considered traditional US allies.

But the survey also revealed that opinions about the US were "complicated and contradictory", with people at the same time embracing American things and decrying US influence on their societies.

Click here for graph showing opinions of the US

Most people in most countries liked American television, films and music, and thought the spread of American science and technology was beneficial, the survey found.

President George Bush said the results partly reflected the work of foreign "propaganda machines" which painted the US in a bad light, the Reuters news agency reported.

National interest

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who headed the survey, said its results should not be interpreted as a criticism of the Bush administration.

She described the survey as a "snapshot of the way the world is viewed at a very complicated time".

"In many ways it is still in the US national interest to understand what others think of us," Ms Albright said.

The survey concludes that:

• While there is growing dislike of the US, people in 35 out of 42 nations hold a generally favourable view of America

• In Russia, US popularity has enjoyed a surge - 61% of Russians have pro-US attitudes compared to 37% in 2000

• Dislike of America is concentrated in the Muslim nations of the Middle East and Central Asia

• America's war on terror enjoys support outside the Muslim world

• People in Canada, Germany and France - traditional American allies - are more critical about US policy and business practices than people in Africa and Asia

A follow-up six-nation survey on the threat from Iraq found that people in France, Russia and Germany oppose a war to oust Saddam Hussein.

British public opinion is evenly split, while most Americans favour military action.

In Turkey, 83% of respondents said they were against the US using Turkish bases in the event of a war in Iraq.

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