- NEW YORK - Almost
half of all Pakistanis believe Israel carried out the September 11 attacks
on the United States and 87 per cent sympathise with the Taliban in the
ongoing conflict, according to a poll commissioned by Newsweek. The US
weekly, in its edition to be published on Monday, gives the results of
a poll by the Gallup organisation's Pakistan affiliate which also shows
strong opposition to the use of Pakistani soil by US troops.
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- The poll showed 48 per cent of Pakistanis believe Israel
carried out the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York
and the Pentagon near Washington, compared to 12 per cent who blame Osama
bin Laden. It said that 25 per cent of people polled believe a US group
carried out the attacks, which killed more than 5,000 people, while five
per cent blame the Palestinians.
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- The poll found 51 per cent of Pakistanis agree with their
president's cooperation with the United States, while 41 per cent disagree.
Thirty-seven per cent of Pakistanis viewed President Pervez Musharraf's
performance during the crisis as very good or good, 42 per cent as okay,
and 21 per cent bad or very bad.
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- Only three per cent sympathised with the United States
in the conflict, compared to 87 per cent with Taliban, and 75 per cent
opposed the use of Pakistani airfields by US forces. Osama is viewed by
82 per cent as a "Mujahid" while just six per cent consider him
a terrorist. A Newsweek statement said that Gallup Pakistan polled 978
adults across the country on October 11 and 12. It said that the survey
had a margin of error of three to four percentage points.
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