Although Congress has authorized President George W. Bush to use force against Iraq with or without the United Nations' support, waging a war in the Middle East will be significantly more difficult if the United States does not have the support of traditional allies in Europe and key states in the Persian Gulf.But outside of Britain and Australia, few nations consider overthrowing Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (pictured at left) a priority. Most governments worry about the United States' unilateralist tendencies and would only begrudgingly support a war if the United Nations declares Iraq in "material breach" of the latest resolution authorizing weapons inspectors to root out chemical, biological and nuclear arms.Among members of the U.N. Security Council's Big Five nations, who all have a veto over any action taken, only the United States and Britain have argued -- repeatedly and vociferously -- in favor of overthrowing Saddam with force. Russia and China, both of whom have been expanding their economic and diplomatic ties to Iraq in recent years, are lukewarm to the idea of war, and their abstention from a vote supporting force is a best-case scenario for the United States, according to some observers. The fifth member, France, may support war, but emphatically urges a U.N.-sanctioned allied action, rather than a unilateral U.S. attack.
Still, some countries, particularly in the Arab world, are entirely opposed to launching a war against Iraq. Anti-Americanism is on the rise in these countries, such as Iran and Pakistan, and most believe the United States' interest in a war comes from a desire for control of Iraqi oil reserves, considered second in size only to Saudi Arabia's, and an increase in U.S. influence in the region. The popular American belief that the threat Saddam poses to world stability is the reason the United States seeks his ouster has little credence outside U.S. borders, according to a survey of global and American opinion conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Many Muslims also say the war on terrorism is a guise for a U.S. war against Islam.In Europe, some correlation appears to exist between a government's official stance and the national public opinion. In Britain, the European nation with the largest percentage of its people (47 percent) in favor of using force to disarm Iraq, according to the Pew survey, the United States finds its most steadfast ally, Prime Minister Tony Blair (at left), who has often helped explain and bolster U.S. arguments concerning Afghanistan and now Iraq.But on the continent, support for war is either significantly qualified or barely exists.French public opinion on the question of using force is more lopsided in its opposition, at 64 percent, according to the same survey conducted by the Pew center. The French government led by President Jacque Chirac (left, with Bush), however, has been more supportive of a war, but only if it is sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council.During the debate in the United Nations over the resolution authorizing weapons inspectors and giving Iraq one last chance to comply, Chirac led the charge against including the use of military in the one resolution, No. 1441. Instead, he was able to convince the Bush administration to support language that essentially forces the United States to return the Security Council to discuss any Iraqi violations, though it does not prevent it from declaring war.German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (at left) used the issue of war with Iraq as a political weapon against his more conservative opponent in the country's recent election, earning him personal enmity from Bush. There is very little support for using force against Iraq among Germans, at 26 percent according to the Pew poll, with 71 percent against it, and that significantly helped Schroeder win.As the weeks between Schroeder and his Sept. 22, 2002, re-election grow, the German leader has gradually become more acquiescent to helping the United States in a war, offering use of its bases and airspace, and hinting that it might not vote against the use of forces as a rotating member of the U.N. Security Council.But if sentiments in Europe about a war against Baghdad are tepid, the feelings among most Middle Eastern nations are much more frigid, as U.S. allies there weigh the continuing need for American monetary and military aid against strong anti-Americanism that becomes more volatile day by day. Generally, the governments are much more supportive then their people, who regularly protest U.S. policies and burn American flags. But fears of instability among Mideast leaders if they are seen as allied too closely with the United States has given them pause when considering their support for a war.A few countries in the region are firmly in the United States' corner, regardless of what the rest of the Arab world thinks. Kuwait, whose leaders and citizens feel somewhat indebted to U.S. troops for expelling Iraq from the oil-rich nation during the 1991 Gulf War, has allowed American soldiers to prepare for an Iraq attack in its desert land. Still, support for the United States has been decreasing among citizens of the small country, and troops stationed there have been attacked by individuals resentful of their presence.Qatar and Bahrain are two more predominantly Muslim nations whose citizens are at odds with U.S. policies, particularly concerning Israel, yet consider an alliance with the American government in their best interest. Qatar views American military bases on its soil as a measure of stability in the typically volatile region, and figures that protection will increase the already strong Western investment there.Home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, Bahrain also sees value in Pentagon protection, even while its people become evermore resentful of the United States.But other U.S. allies in the region who receive American aid are too concerned about the political instability in their countries and strong anti-Americanism to offer much overt support for a war against Iraq, even as they offer no support to their fellow Arab nation. Two of those countries, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, play important roles in U.S. plans for an invasion.In Turkey -- the only predominantly Muslim member of NATO -- only 13 percent of the population would support using force to remove Saddam from Iraq, while 83 percent oppose such a move, according to the Pew survey. A recent election put the secular nation's fate in the hands of a party whose leader is a former Islamic extremist and was convicted in 1998 for reading a poem a court said incited religious hatred. The party's victory worried some that Turkey would move away from the West.Though the party and its leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have convinced other nations that secularism and positive relations with the West remain important to Turkey, they are strongly opposed to military action near their border, which abuts Iraq. While pursuing better relations with Western nations and acceptance into the European Union, Turkey does not want to alienate its Arab allies.Though Russia and China both voted in favor of U.N. resolution 1441 authorizing inspections and compelling Iraq to give up its weapons of mass destruction, both nations have voiced sharp opposition to U.S. plans. Their growing economic ties to Iraq are widely considered responsible.The Russian press describes President Vladimir Putin (pictured at left, with Bush) as pragmatic in his views of a war in Iraq. According to the Russian newspaper Izvestiya, Putin feels it is pointless to "protest against the inevitable." So, while he urges a diplomatic solution, he has worked with the White House to secure Russia's economic interests, mainly oil, in Iraq. The Pew survey conducted in late fall shows 12 percent of Russians favor using force to disarm Saddam.Since Sept. 11, 2001, the United States' war on terror has received significant support from most nations and people around the globe, excluding the Muslim world, according to the Pew survey. But a pre-emptive attack against Iraq is strongly opposed by most of the world -- even by close U.S. allies --particularly if America acts alone.
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But outside of Britain and Australia, few nations consider overthrowing Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (pictured at left) a priority. Most governments worry about the United States' unilateralist tendencies and would only begrudgingly support a war if the United Nations declares Iraq in "material breach" of the latest resolution authorizing weapons inspectors to root out chemical, biological and nuclear arms.Among members of the U.N. Security Council's Big Five nations, who all have a veto over any action taken, only the United States and Britain have argued -- repeatedly and vociferously -- in favor of overthrowing Saddam with force. Russia and China, both of whom have been expanding their economic and diplomatic ties to Iraq in recent years, are lukewarm to the idea of war, and their abstention from a vote supporting force is a best-case scenario for the United States, according to some observers. The fifth member, France, may support war, but emphatically urges a U.N.-sanctioned allied action, rather than a unilateral U.S. attack.
In Europe, some correlation appears to exist between a government's official stance and the national public opinion. In Britain, the European nation with the largest percentage of its people (47 percent) in favor of using force to disarm Iraq, according to the Pew survey, the United States finds its most steadfast ally, Prime Minister Tony Blair (at left), who has often helped explain and bolster U.S. arguments concerning Afghanistan and now Iraq.But on the continent, support for war is either significantly qualified or barely exists.
French public opinion on the question of using force is more lopsided in its opposition, at 64 percent, according to the same survey conducted by the Pew center. The French government led by President Jacque Chirac (left, with Bush), however, has been more supportive of a war, but only if it is sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council.During the debate in the United Nations over the resolution authorizing weapons inspectors and giving Iraq one last chance to comply, Chirac led the charge against including the use of military in the one resolution, No. 1441. Instead, he was able to convince the Bush administration to support language that essentially forces the United States to return the Security Council to discuss any Iraqi violations, though it does not prevent it from declaring war.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (at left) used the issue of war with Iraq as a political weapon against his more conservative opponent in the country's recent election, earning him personal enmity from Bush. There is very little support for using force against Iraq among Germans, at 26 percent according to the Pew poll, with 71 percent against it, and that significantly helped Schroeder win.As the weeks between Schroeder and his Sept. 22, 2002, re-election grow, the German leader has gradually become more acquiescent to helping the United States in a war, offering use of its bases and airspace, and hinting that it might not vote against the use of forces as a rotating member of the U.N. Security Council.But if sentiments in Europe about a war against Baghdad are tepid, the feelings among most Middle Eastern nations are much more frigid, as U.S. allies there weigh the continuing need for American monetary and military aid against strong anti-Americanism that becomes more volatile day by day. Generally, the governments are much more supportive then their people, who regularly protest U.S. policies and burn American flags. But fears of instability among Mideast leaders if they are seen as allied too closely with the United States has given them pause when considering their support for a war.A few countries in the region are firmly in the United States' corner, regardless of what the rest of the Arab world thinks. Kuwait, whose leaders and citizens feel somewhat indebted to U.S. troops for expelling Iraq from the oil-rich nation during the 1991 Gulf War, has allowed American soldiers to prepare for an Iraq attack in its desert land. Still, support for the United States has been decreasing among citizens of the small country, and troops stationed there have been attacked by individuals resentful of their presence.Qatar and Bahrain are two more predominantly Muslim nations whose citizens are at odds with U.S. policies, particularly concerning Israel, yet consider an alliance with the American government in their best interest. Qatar views American military bases on its soil as a measure of stability in the typically volatile region, and figures that protection will increase the already strong Western investment there.Home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, Bahrain also sees value in Pentagon protection, even while its people become evermore resentful of the United States.But other U.S. allies in the region who receive American aid are too concerned about the political instability in their countries and strong anti-Americanism to offer much overt support for a war against Iraq, even as they offer no support to their fellow Arab nation. Two of those countries, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, play important roles in U.S. plans for an invasion.In Turkey -- the only predominantly Muslim member of NATO -- only 13 percent of the population would support using force to remove Saddam from Iraq, while 83 percent oppose such a move, according to the Pew survey. A recent election put the secular nation's fate in the hands of a party whose leader is a former Islamic extremist and was convicted in 1998 for reading a poem a court said incited religious hatred. The party's victory worried some that Turkey would move away from the West.Though the party and its leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have convinced other nations that secularism and positive relations with the West remain important to Turkey, they are strongly opposed to military action near their border, which abuts Iraq. While pursuing better relations with Western nations and acceptance into the European Union, Turkey does not want to alienate its Arab allies.Though Russia and China both voted in favor of U.N. resolution 1441 authorizing inspections and compelling Iraq to give up its weapons of mass destruction, both nations have voiced sharp opposition to U.S. plans. Their growing economic ties to Iraq are widely considered responsible.
The Russian press describes President Vladimir Putin (pictured at left, with Bush) as pragmatic in his views of a war in Iraq. According to the Russian newspaper Izvestiya, Putin feels it is pointless to "protest against the inevitable." So, while he urges a diplomatic solution, he has worked with the White House to secure Russia's economic interests, mainly oil, in Iraq. The Pew survey conducted in late fall shows 12 percent of Russians favor using force to disarm Saddam.Since Sept. 11, 2001, the United States' war on terror has received significant support from most nations and people around the globe, excluding the Muslim world, according to the Pew survey. But a pre-emptive attack against Iraq is strongly opposed by most of the world -- even by close U.S. allies --particularly if America acts alone. 
