Americans Think Iran Is the U.S.'s Top Enemy, China Second

Reuters
Alexander Abad-Santos 7,932 Views Feb 20, 2012

Iran's been dominating the news and it shows -- a Gallup poll found that 32 percent of Americans believe that Iran is the greatest threat to the U.S., followed by China, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The percentage of respondents naming Iran as America's greatest enemy is actually up seven points from last year, and its jump coincides with the country's latest nuclear announcements, long-range missile exercises and talk about closing the Strait of Hormuz, and the incident of its "Bangkok Bombers"--all of which have come in the first two months of this new year. Just yesterday, General Martin Dempsey, chairman for the military's joint chiefs of staff, was asked about and ruled out a military strike on Iran. And today's poll also comes out on the same day that U.N. inspectors arrive in Iran to check on the nuclear progress of the country-- a trip which sources have told news outlets they believe will end in futility. China, which holds the second spot, actually holds a 41 percent favorable rating in the poll -- the highest among the top "threats." Our "Ally From Hell", Pakistan, placed No. 7 with 2 percent of mentions, while 1 percent named the United States itself, World War II enemy Japan, and oil supplier Saudi Arabia to round out the bottom of the poll. 

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at aabadsantos at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

Related Articles   More by Alexander Abad-Santos

Five Best Friday Columns

In China, Hillary Gets Tough on North Korea, Syria, and Iran

Did South Korea Help North Korea Light Obama on Fire in This Video?

 

Syrian Electronic Army Adds Financial Times to Its Social Media Hacks

Amtrak's WiFi Upgrade Allows More People to Complain About Amtrak WiFi

Elsewhere on the Web

User Comments

Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register

  • The Atlantic Wire on Twitter
  • The Atlantic Wire RSS Feed
  • The Atlantic Wire iPhone App