Britain must distance itself from US: poll

A majority of Britons believe the Tony Blair government's foreign policy has increased the risk of terror attacks and want the country to distance itself from the United States besides setting a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq, an opinion poll has found.

The results of the Populus poll published in The Times on Wednesday underlines the unpopularity of Blair's Middle Eastern policy and shows that a majority of voters believe there is a direct connection with terrorist plots and attacks at home.

The poll was undertaken over the weekend as news came of the death of 14 British servicemen on board a crashed Nimrod aircraft in Afghanistan. Populus interviewed 1,502 adults by telephone from September 1 to 3.

Nearly three quarters of the public (73 per cent) believes that the risk of terror attacks on Britain have increased significantly due to the government's foreign policy, especially its support for the Iraq invasion and refusal to demand a ceasefire by Israel in the recent war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the poll revealed.

Sixty-two percent agree that 'in order to reduce the risk of future terror attacks, the government should change its policy, in particular by distancing itself from US, being more critical of Israel and declaring a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq.' Women (66 per cent) and Liberal Democrat voters (74 per cent) agree with this view particularly strongly. 

About 63 per cent of the voters believe that 'Muslim extremists hate democracy and the Western way of life, and if Britain's foreign policy were different, they will find another excuse for their terrorist activities.'

Voters were also sympathetic to Muslim concerns. About 52 per cent believe that 'even though there is no justification for terrorism, Britain's foreign policy, especially towards Iraq and the recent attacks on Lebanon by Israel, is anti-Muslim and it is understandable that many Muslims are offended by it.'

Most people support the increased security at airports. Just 29 per cent believe that the airport authorities have 'overreacted to the threat of terrorism and introduced excessive security measures,' but more than two thirds (69 percent) disagree.

A third believe that security checks should be 'particularly focused on people who appear to be from the same ethnic or religious background as previous terrorists, rather than treating everyone as if they represent an equal risk.'