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American Morning
Blaming America
Aired September 05, 2002 - 09:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The rather chilly reception the Secretary of State received yesterday at Earth Day, the U.N. Earth Summit in Johannesburg, a reminder that anti-American sentiment very much alive around the world. And there is a new poll right now finding a majority of Europeans surveyed now believe that U.S. foreign policy is partly to blame for the attacks of last September.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think actually America tries to be the world's policeman, and I don't think they have the right do that. The Americas to me always seem they prefer to have an enemy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I believe that Bush's foreign policy, with the type of scenarios that he has been creating in the Middle East could have aggravated that situation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Everything that happens in world today has something to do with politics of a country, very naturally so. And the aggressiveness that America exudes today also has something to do with the attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: Some reaction we gathered on streets of Europe. Steve Grand, director of the German Marshall Fund, conducted the poll. He joins us live from Washington.
Steve, I wish I could say good morning to you. A lot of folks heard this news here, frankly, in the studio, in the newsroom, and shaking our heads.
The headline from your survey. I'll read it to you. Europeans believe U.S. foreign policy contributed to 9-11. Based on survey, about 55 percent say that. What's going on here?
STEVE GRAND, GERMAN MARSHALL FUND: Well, as an American, it is certainly a little bit disconcerting to hear that, but in context of the larger survey, it becomes a little bit clearer what Europeans are trying to say here. And basically, one has to draw a distinction between how Europeans feel about American conduct of its foreign policy and how they feel about America more broadly.
HEMMER: What did they say specifically, though, about that policy in which they disagree?
GRAND: They were asked whether they thought American foreign policy contributed to the attacks of 9/11, and a majority in all European countries surveyed -- we surveyed six European countries. A majority in each thought that the U.S. was somewhat -- or agreed somewhat or strongly with the same that U.S. foreign policy was to blame for it.
HEMMER: But did they give reason? Did they talk about the Middle East? Did they talk about Iraq? Did they give specifics?
GRAND: In the larger survey, what comes out is that Americans -- that Europeans like America, that they feel very comfortable with American leadership in the world, that they feel very comfortable with America as an ally and as an partner. They support NATO. They want to see NATO continue and be strengthened, but they do have reservations about certain aspects of U.S. foreign policy. And instances that come through in the survey are policies in the Middle East, are conduct in the situation with Iraq, and, of course, global warming.
HEMMER: Let's put up on our screen again, this half a dozen Europeans where survey was conducted. The French lead the list at 63 percent. What gives there in Paris?
GRAND: Well, the French have always been most vocal critics of the United States and Europe, and the survey certainly doesn't discount that.
I want to stress that one doesn't find this survey, and everyone should go and look at our Web site where we put all data, at worldviews.org, and take a look for themselves. But it shows that the French do have strong reservations about certain aspects of U.S. foreign policy, but they are not anti-American.
HEMMER: Steve, listen, I have 15 seconds. We are up against the window here. Are there things where we have in common that you found in this survey, that are somewhat reassuring in terms of common interests? Or is it all this theme that ran through it about the disagreements between the European capital cities and the U.S.?
GRAND: No, there is a lot that is very, very positive. At a period, when there's been a lot of talk of the U.S. and Europe drifting apart, it's clear that we see threats in same way that our allies do, which is clear that the public on both side are in agreement, with regard to international institutions and how they should be used, in regard to who our friends and allies are, and there's a willingness on both sides to use force to combat what both sides see as the biggest threat we both face, which is terrorism.
HEMMER: To say that they're interesting findings would be an understatement. Thank you, Steve, for sharing your results with us. Steve Grand, of the German Marshal Fund in Washington.
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