U.S. still viewed negatively by Muslims

WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) -- The rise of pro-democracy movements in the Middle East has failed to improve the image of the United States in the region, a poll has determined.

The Pew Global Attitudes Project said a survey conducted prior to the death of Osama bin Laden found that people in key Arab nations and other predominantly Muslim countries still have a negative view of America.

In Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan, views are even more negative than they were a year ago, the poll indicated.

Pew said with the exception of Indonesia, U.S. President Barack Obama remains unpopular in Muslim nations it polled.

People in most of those countries disapprove of the way he has handled calls for political change in the Middle East, Pew said.

The poll found widespread support for democracy in the Middle East, especially in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.

Seven out of 10 of those polled said democracy was the best form of government while an increasing number of citizens expressed the belief that a democratic government, rather than a strong leader, is the best way to solve national problems.

The Pew survey was conducted March 21 to April 26 by face-to-face interviews with 1,000 people in each of six Middle Eastern nations plus the Palestinian territories. It carried a margin of error of 4 percentage points.