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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (AP) Last update - 09:59 11/03/2008 BBC poll: Support for tough moves against Iran decreased By Reuters Tags: sanctions, Iran, BBC, poll Support for military strikes or sanctions to stop Iran's nuclear program has fallen in more than half the countries surveyed in an international poll, according to a British Broadcasting Company survey released Tuesday said. The BBC World Service poll comes as big powers have been upping pressure on Iran over its nuclear program, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes but the West suspects is aimed at producing nuclear weapons. Although the survey was conducted between the end of October last year and January, most interviews were carried out after the release of a United States intelligence report last December which found Tehran had halted work on nuclear weapons in 2003. Advertisement The U.S. report took some impetus out of a drive for tougher sanctions against Iran, although the United Nations Security Council did agree on a new sanctions resolution last week. The poll found support for economic sanctions or a military strike against Iran had fallen in 13 out of 21 countries compared with a similar poll in June 2006. "It appears that people in many countries are interested in ramping down the confrontation with Iran, while still using UN inspectors to ensure that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons," Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland in the United States, which helped conduct the poll, said in a statement. Support for military action or economic sanctions dropped by 10 points in Australia compared with 2006 (42 percent compared with 52), by nine points in Britain (34 percent from 43), by nine points in Germany (37 percent from 46) and by six points in the United States (60 percent from 66), the poll found. Only three countries showed an increase in support for military strikes or sanctions -- Israel (where support for tough action rose to 71 percent from 62), South Korea (53 percent compared with 47) and Turkey (33 percent compared with 21). In the other five countries surveyed, support was broadly similar to the 2006 poll. Israel has said a nuclear Iran would be a threat to its existence while South Korea's neighbour, North Korea, agreed last year to dismantle its nuclear program. The rise in support for tough action among Turks was unexpected as the two countries cooperate in areas such as energy. On average across the 21 countries, 43 percent favored diplomacy to solve the crisis and 14 percent would apply no pressure at all. Twenty-six percent supported sanctions and eight percent military strikes. The poll found many people would be prepared to allow Tehran to produce nuclear fuel for electricity, provided it was accompanied by a full program of UN inspections. The pollsters surveyed opinion in another 10 countries for the first time. Across all 31 countries surveyed, most respondents opposed the use of economic sanctions or military strikes, the survey said. More than 32,000 people were interviewed between Oct. 31, 2007 and Jan. 25, 2008. The margin of error per country ranged from plus or minus 2.4 to 4.4 percent. Related articles: UN Security Council approves tougher sanctions against Iran Iran leader calls on Muslims to hit Israel 'in face' over Gaza op Ahmadinejad in Iraq: First-ever visit opens new chapter in ties Bookmark to del.icio.us   My son, the martyr Mother of J'lem attack victim backs 'political use' of son's murder. Keeping the faith Inter-faith couples married in a Jewish ceremony are likely to raise their kids Jewish.   1.   The Iranian nuke weapon issue is over 04:30  |  Pablo B 11/03/08   2.   Europe -- The Land Of Appeasement 05:37  |  Steve 11/03/08   3.   No way these numbers are correct 05:58  |  Candida 11/03/08   4.   Finally, (B)usy (B)ody (C)orporation has woken up! 06:29  |  Magnify 11/03/08   5.   THE KEY: IRAN`S DETERRENT POWER 07:20  |  Indrajaya 11/03/08   6.   Nuclear Iran. 08:34  |  Jean Van Daem 11/03/08   7.   You lose this one, Israel 09:16  |  Clickfool 11/03/08   8.   do something israel!!!! 10:13  |  johnny 11/03/08   9.   ON THE NAME OF COMMON SENSE: THANKS PEOPLE 10:23  |  indrajaya 11/03/08   10.   Message #1 10:34  |  Noffobear 11/03/08   11.   UK - moral weakling 10:35  |  x-ray 11/03/08   12.   Israel your iniquities will not be pardoned unless you change! 10:41  |  lakshmi 11/03/08   13.   Clickfool 10:49  |  raminPERSIANpride 11/03/08   14.   An interesting first story 10:53  |  Chris Linthwaite 11/03/08   15.   Clickfool`s wish 11:15  |  Daniel 11/03/08   16.   People are not asked 11:20  |  Jonathan S 11/03/08   17.   for clickfool 11:23  |  danalogue 11/03/08   18.   Looks Like... Israel is falling 11:43  |  Black Israel 11/03/08   19.   For danalogue # 4 12:17  |  Clickfool 11/03/08   20.   Just wait for the last word 12:18  |  Vitaly 11/03/08   21.   For Daniel # 2 12:19  |  Clickfool 11/03/08   22.   just wait for the last word (continue) 12:26  |  Vitaly 11/03/08   23.   for clickfool # 11 12:49  |  danalogue 11/03/08   24.   divine figure 12:51  |  hameedjd 11/03/08   25.   #15 Clickfool and the "Truth" 13:28  |  H 11/03/08   26.   Iran; Home of the Jewish People 13:38  |  POP 11/03/08   27.   This is what Iran stands for! 14:06  |  DR 11/03/08   28.   #6, Lakshmi and change! 14:10  |  DR 11/03/08   29.   22DR israel`s accomplishments pale by comparison with israel`s 14:40  |  lakshmi 11/03/08   30.   Vitally in 5 yeras from now 20:10  |  Iranian-American 11/03/08   31.   LAKSHMI, CRIMES AND INIQUITIES 20:19  |  Brant 11/03/08   32.   CLICKFOOL AND THE DEPTH OF HOSTILITY 20:48  |  Brant 11/03/08   33.   To Vitaly 07:25  |  ben 15/03/08

Today Online Bradley Burston: Ten Commandments for Arab and Jew at war Responses: 199 Officials: IAF helicopter hit by Palestinian fire over Gaza Responses: 211 Police arrest rabbi for 'inciting Palestinians' in East Jerusalem Responses: 125 State Dept. notes rise in world anti-Semitism over last decade Responses: 199 Haaretz.com TV: Al Jazeera slams Israeli boycott as attack on freedom of expression Responses: 72 Rosner's Domain If you marry them, you have a better chance of keeping them State Department: UN measures fuel anti-Semitism (WTR) Poll: Is the "road map" still relevant? Neocons and the cultural proclivity of Jews (WTR) General Fraser and the third whiner More Headlines 07:26 Sources: Israel warned Syria it could pay price for any Hezbollah attack 07:32 Rice: Neither Israel nor PA have done nearly enough to implement road map 00:00 Officials: IAF helicopter hit by Palestinian fire over Gaza 08:12 Islamic summit draft communique accuses Israel of 'war crimes' 23:33 Merkel, Blair planning Middle East summit in Berlin for June 20:06 EU demands Israel halt all construction in W. Bank, E. J'lem 16:05 If you marry them, you have a better chance of keeping them 22:12 Two Israelis wounded in clashes with IDF at anti-fence protest 13:54 Berlin official: Merkel speech to Knesset signals normalizing ties 14:30 But did you know he's a Muslim? 00:07 Police suspect homicide as two men trample cop with car, killing him 17:10 Dutch brace for new anti-Islam film directed by far-right leader 16:32 Court extends remand of two men suspected of beating Arab workers Previous Editions Select Day 14 mar 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar

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