Bin Laden's popularity declined

WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) -- Muslims around the world had little support for Osama bin Laden in the months leading up to his death, a poll found.

A survey of support for the al-Qaida leader was conducted March 21-April 11 by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project in six predominantly Muslim nations.

Pew said bin Laden received his highest level of support in the Palestinian territories where 34 percent of respondents said they had confidence that the terrorist leader would do the right thing in world affairs.

Only 26 percent of Muslims in Indonesia, 22 percent in Egypt and 13 percent in Jordan expressed confidence in bin Laden.

He drew almost no support in Turkey and Lebanon where 3 percent or less of the Muslim population asked supported him.

Pew said the results obtained by its most recent survey represent a sharp decline from 2003 when a high of 56 percent of Jordanian Muslims supported bin Laden.