7-03-09, 9:56 am

Pakistanis reject the violence and values of the Taliban but also want foreign military intervention in their country to end, a nationwide survey there revealed recently. 'A major shift has taken place in Pakistanis' perceptions of religious militant groups in their country,' said Clay Ramsey, research director at WorldPublicOpinion.org, which conducted the May poll of 1,000 people across that country.

More than eight in 10 Pakistanis see the activities of such groups as the Taliban as 'a critical threat to Pakistan,' Ramsey added. This number has grown since 2007 when only 34 percent of Pakistanis saw the activities of groups like Taliban as 'critical.'

The survey also revealed that about 70 percent of Pakistanis support their government against the Taliban in the Swat Valley conflict that has seen a shift in authority to Taliban elements in much of that region. Only five percent threw their support to the Taliban. And a majority of Pakistanis expressed confidence that the government could handle the problem.

'The public seems definite that the Pakistani Taliban is a road they don't want to go down,' Ramsey added. Three in four Pakistanis described a complete takeover of their country by the Taliban as 'bad,' and most saw that scenario as 'unlikely.'

Overwhelming majorities of Pakistanis rejected the extreme religious views of the Taliban and expressed the belief that the Taliban could not deliver basic social services if they gained power.

Large majorities also stated that a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan would be a bad thing.

Strong opinions about seeing increased action by the Pakistan government to control or stop the violent activities of the Taliban did not translate into strong confidence or broad support for US involvement in the region, Ramsey noted. While Pakistanis expressed a great deal more confidence in President Obama to handle world affairs well than George W. Bush, more than six in 10 Pakistanis remain skeptical about the US leader.

US policy in the region remains an extremely sore point. About eight in 10 Pakistanis want Predator drone attacks as well as the US/NATO missions in Pakistan and Afghanistan to end immediately.