Only 27% of Americans see Qatar as 'US friend

Only 27 per cent of Americans consider Qatar as a friend or ally to the US, while many associate Doha with accusations of terror financing, an Arab News/YouGov poll has revealed.

The survey covered 2,263 US citizens and was carried out in July. It found that 31 per cent of Americans consider Qatar to be unfriendly towards or an enemy of their country, while 43 per cent either do not know or are unsure about how to classify the relationship with Doha.

It brought to the fore the fact that 71 per cent of Americans were aware, to various extents, of the diplomatic row raging between Qatar and its Arab neighbours.

The survey found that those who are aware have a good understanding of the reasons behind the crisis, with 67 per cent correctly identifying that Qatar had been accused of supporting terror groups and meddling with the internal affairs of regional countries. The poll also gauged public opinion regarding the US military base in Qatar.

The Al-Udeid air base currently hosts more than 11,000 American soldiers. However, 49 per cent of Americans say they are unsure if it is best for the base to remain there, while 20 per cent thought that it should be moved somewhere else. Only 31 per cent said the base should remain in Qatar.

According to the Arab News/YouGov poll, more than six in 10 Americans are aware of Al Jazeera - but many of those have negative perceptions of it.

Half believe that Al Jazeera has a negative influence on the US image abroad. A majority of those with an opinion on the matter also believe the network gives a platform to terror groups linked to Osama bin Laden - with 44 per cent agreeing with that statement, and only 18 per cent saying the opposite. The rest of the US respondents - 38 per cent - were unsure.

When asked about their general perceptions of Qatar, the poll found that 50 per cent did not have enough information. Of those who did, the greatest proportion of US citizens - 34 per cent - associate Qatar with accusations of terror financing, compared to just 16 per cent who cited the Gulf state's controversial hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Arab News said while revealing the survey findings.

Source: Khaleej Times