(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Few people in Iran express confidence in
the ability of United States president Barack Obama to manage global
affairs, according to a poll by World Public Opinion and the University
of Maryland. 57 per cent of respondents say they have no confidence at
all in Obama.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Few people in
Iran express confidence in
the ability of United States
president Barack Obama to manage global affairs, according to a poll by World
Public Opinion and the University
of Maryland. 57 per cent
of respondents say they have no confidence at all in Obama.
In 2008, 72 per cent of respondents felt
the same way about the previous U.S.
president, George W. Bush.
After being branded as part of an
"axis of evil" by then U.S.
president George W. Bush in January 2002, Iran has contended that its nuclear
program aims to produce energy, not weapons. Iran has been the target of three
sets of United Nations (UN) sanctions for refusing to suspend
uranium-enrichment work. 62 per cent of respondents favour Iran and the U.S. restoring diplomatic
relations.
On Jun. 12, Iranians voted in presidential
elections. Official results gave incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a victory with
62.63 per cent of the vote, followed by reformist candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi
with 33.75 per cent. The election was highly contested by the opposition, who
cried foul. Millions of protesters continue to call for a new ballot.
On Sept. 25, Obama revealed that his
government is aware that Iran
has been developing a second uranium enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom without informing the
UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency.
On Sept. 27, U.S. defence secretary Robert Gates
commented on the matter, saying, "The Iranians are in a very bad spot now
because of this deception, in terms of all of the great powers. And there
obviously is the opportunity for severe additional sanctions."
Polling Data
To what degree do you favour or oppose Iran and the United States restoring diplomatic
relations?
|
Favour strongly |
18% |
|
Favour somewhat |
45% |
|
Oppose somewhat |
9% |
|
Oppose strongly |
18% |
How much confidence do you have in U.S.
President Barack Obama to do the right thing regarding world affairs? (2009)
How much confidence do you have in U.S.
President George W. Bush to do the right thing regarding world affairs? (2008)
|
|
Barack Obama |
George Bush |
|
A lot of confidence |
2% |
2% |
|
Some confidence |
14% |
4% |
|
Not much confidence |
14% |
8% |
|
No confidence at all |
57% |
72% |
Source: worldpublicopinion.org / Program on
International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland
Methodology: telephone interviews with 1,003 Iranian adults, conducted from Aug.
27 to Sept. 10, 2009. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
