With the uprising against him showing no signs of abating, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is widely unpopular in neighboring countries, finds a survey from the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project. The vast majority of Jordanians, Egyptians, Tunisians and Turks would like to see Assad step down, but views differ sharply in Lebanon along sectarian lines, with fully 97% of Shia Muslims saying Assad should not step down. Even though many would like to see Assad out of office, there is no consensus on taking action to dislodge him from power. There is limited support for tougher international economic sanctions or Arab military intervention, and very little support for Western military action. These are among the key findings from a survey conducted from March 19 to April 20, prior to the May 25 massacre in Houla, Syria, as well as other recent acts of violence against civilians by pro-Assad forces. For the full report, visit http://www.pewglobal.org/2012/06/21/widespread-condemnation-for-assad-in-neighboring-countries/. BM With the uprising against him showing no signs of abating, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is widely unpopular in neighboring countries, finds asurvey from the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project. The vast majority of Jordanians, Egyptians, Tunisians and Turks would like to see Assad step down, but views differ sharply in Lebanon along sectarian lines, with fully 97% of Shia Muslims saying Assad should not step down. Even though many would like to see Assad out of office, there is no consensus on taking action to dislodge him from power. There is limited support for tougher international economic sanctions or Arab military intervention, and very little support for Western military action. These are among the key findings from a survey conducted from March 19 to April 20, prior to the May 25 massacre in Houla, Syria, as well as other recent acts of violence against civilians by pro-Assad forces. For the full report, visit http://www.pewglobal.org/2012/06/21/widespread-condemnation-for-assad-in-neighboring-countries/.
