Britons wary of Bush more than Kim Jong-il - poll

LONDON, Nov 3 (Reuters) The United States is seen as a threat to world peace by its closest neighbours and allies, with Britons saying President George W. Bush poses a greater danger than North Korea's Kim Jong-il, a survey found today.

A majority of people quizzed in three out of four countries polled also rejected the March 2003 U S-led invasion of Iraq.

The findings came just days before the U S mid-term congressional elections, with a growing number of U S voters wanting their troops in Iraq to be brought home.

Britain's Guardian newspaper said it carried out the survey along with Israel's Haaretz, La Presse and Toronto Star in Canada and Mexico's Reforma.

In Britain, which alongside Israel is traditionally a close Washington ally, 69 per cent of those questioned said they felt U.S.

policy had made the world less safe since 2001.

A majority of Canadians and Mexicans agreed, with 62 per cent of those polled in Canada and 57 per cent in Mexico saying their neighbour's policy had made the world more dangerous.

As for Israel, just 25 per cent of people asked said President Bush had made the world safer, while 36 percent felt he had upped the risk of conflict and a further 30 per cent said at best he had made no difference.

Israelis alone were in favour of President Bush's decision to invade Iraq, with 59 percent for the war and 34 per cent against.

The ratio was starkly different in the three other nations.

Some 89 per cent of Mexicans felt the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein was unjustified, as did 73 per cent of Canadians and 71 per cent of Britons, the survey said.

The perceived failings of U S foreign policy placed the President alongside al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a cause of global anxiety, it said.

North Korea's nuclear test last month drew worldwide condemnation, while Western powers are trying to force Iran to scale back atomic work they fear may be used to make bombs. Iran says its aims are purely peaceful.

Asked whether they thought the U S leader was a great or moderate danger to peace, 75 per cent of British people said yes. Some 87 per cent felt the same about bin Laden, while Kim scored 69 per cent and Ahmadinejad clocked 62 per cent.

Just 23 per cent of Israelis said President Bush he represented a serious danger, with 61 per cent disagreeing.

ICM interviewed 1,010 adults from October 27-30 in Britain.

Professional local opinion polling was used in the other three countries, the Guardian said. In Israel, 1,078 people were asked, 1,007 were quizzed in Canada and 1,010 in Mexico.

Reuters SHB DB1132