West losing 'war against terrorism', say most Britons
Regional-UK, Politics, 8/18/2006

Four out of five Britons believe the West is losing the 'war against terror' and want Prime Minister Tony Blair to distance UK foreign policy from that of the United States, according to a new poll.

A YouGov survey for Spectator magazine found that only 14 percent of the British public supported Blair standing shoulder to shoulder with US President George W Bush on foreign policy, most recently seen in his backing of Israel's invasion of Lebanon.

Some 60 percent also believed that the war against such groups as as al-Qaeda will last at least a decade, with 44 percent feeling it would last a least a generation or 20 years or more.

The poll, conducted in the wake of 24 people being arrested over an alleged plot to blow up flights to the US, also revealed that a majority thought it fairly likely Britain would suffer a terrorist attack in the next year, while a third thought it very likely.

A majority also believe that "passenger profiling", where airline passengers are security screened based on their background or appearance, should now be introduced in UK airports.

The poll was seen as reflecting a hawkish mood in the light of the latest alleged plot with 53 percent of Britons suggesting the UK should adopt a tougher and more aggressive foreign policy in response to the terror threat.

When asked if British Muslims are 'moderate', half of YouGov's 1,696 respondents agreed, while 28 percent said they were not.

Previous Stories:
  UK foreign policy denies blame for terrorism   (8/16/2006)
  UK warned against following US in profiling Muslim passengers   (8/16/2006)
  On the UK plane bombing plot   (8/16/2006)

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