Russians believe antiterrorist coalition fails to fight terrorism

Every fourth Russian (23% of respondents to an opinion poll including 5% who are quite certain of the viewpoint) believes that member states of the antiterrorist coalition are successfully fighting against terrorism. Meanwhile, every second respondent (51%) believes that the coalition did not score a success. 17% of the above percentage believe that operations of the coalition fell through.

Interfax reports on the results of the opinion poll conducted by All-Russia Center of Public Opinion Studies on the eve of fourth anniversary of the September 11th attacks in New York and Washington. The survey was carried out from September 3rd to September 4th in 153 cities, towns, and villages of Russia. Nearly 1,600 people took part in the poll.

According to sociologists, respondents in all federal regions of Russia tend to make negative assessments more often than the positive ones. Respondents in the Volga region and North Western region (29%-30%) are on the positive side while those in the Central region, South region and Siberian region (17%-20%) are more skeptical in their opinions.

Russians believe the United Stated is fighting ineffectively against international terrorism in foreign countries. The fight against international terrorism includes military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq with regime change ensuing in both countries; U.S. military presence expansion in various countries of the world. Respondents assess the above developments in a more or less similar manner: 51%-57% are inclined to regard them ineffective while 16%-18% call them effective.

Respondents view the situation in the U.S. differently. A relative majority of respondents (40%) consider measures aimed at increasing security (monitoring telephone conversations and correspondence, tightening visa regulations and security arrangements in airports and other public facilities) as rather effective while 27% of respondents call them rather ineffective.