Poll finds Muslim support for bin Laden waning

In heavily Islamic countries, support for terror attacks on Americans drops

WASHINGTON - Support for Osama bin Laden and terrorist bombings
against Americans and their allies in Iraq is falling in several
heavily Muslim countries, particularly those where terrorist attacks
have occurred.

According to surveys conducted for the Pew Research Center for the
People & the Press, young people in Morocco, Lebanon, Pakistan and
Turkey view America more favorably than the overall populations in
those countries.
"There are some signs � especially in Indonesia, Morocco and even
Turkey, where they've had their own experience with terrorist
bombings � that there's less support than there was in 2003 for
suicide bombings and for bin Laden," Pew director Andrew Kohut said.

Pew interviewed people in 17 countries, six of which � Indonesia,
Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan and Turkey � have majority Muslim
populations. The polling was done before last week's terrorist
bombings in London.

Fewer justify suicide bombings
In Lebanon, the number of people who think the use of suicide bombing
and other forms of violence is justified in defense of Islam has
dropped from 73 percent in the summer of 2002 to 39 percent now.
Smaller drops were seen in Morocco, from 40 percent a year ago to 13
percent now, and in Pakistan and Indonesia. In Jordan, the number of
people who feel such violence is justified has grown slightly; the
number in Turkey remains very low.

Since March 2004, the sentiment for suicide bombing against Americans
and their allies in Iraq dropped from 70 percent to 49 percent in
Jordan, which neighbors Iraq, and dropped by smaller margins in
Pakistan, Turkey, and Morocco.

Public confidence in bin Laden has dipped sharply since May 2003 in
Indonesia, Morocco, Lebanon and Turkey � all countries that have
experienced recent terrorist bombings. In Pakistan and Jordan, a
majority of people continue to say they have at least some confidence
in bin Laden, the Saudi leader of al-Qaida.

A majority of people in Morocco and Pakistan say Islamic extremism
greatly threatens their country, and almost half in Indonesia and
Turkey said it poses a great threat. Few people in Lebanon and Jordan
felt that way.