US actions after 9/11 have not made the world a safer place, say Europeans

Sputnik Press-Office - According to a Sputnik.Polls survey, the majority of people in Germany (74%), France (65%), and Italy (63%) believe that the measures taken by the United States in fighting terrorism after the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 have not strengthened global security.

Americans were less skeptical about the actions their government has taken to enhance global security: 54% of American respondents said the US is fighting terrorism successfully, 39% disagreed, and 7% were undecided. The poll was conducted by French opinion and marketing research company Ifop on behalf of Sputnik International News Agency and Radio.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, the United States took measures to strengthen domestic and international security. In particular, Congress passed the Patriot Act which expanded the FBI's authority to collect information about people and companies in the United States and beyond. The invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan were also part of the American effort to combat global terrorism.

When asked if the US counterterrorism measures taken after 9/11 made the world a safer place; only 20% of Germans, 24% of French people, and 30% of Italians said "Yes". Six percent of respondents in Germany, 11% in France, and 7% in Italy said they were undecided.

The poll was conducted by the oldest French opinion and marketing research company, Ifop, from June 28th to July 4th 2016 in Germany, France, and Italy, and from August 26th to 30th in the United States. Ifop interviewed 4,015 people over the age of 18 years in Germany (1,000 respondents), France (1,004), Italy (1,002) and the United States (1,009), and the samples were representative of each country's population in terms of gender, age, and geography. The confidence interval was +/- 3.1% at 95% confidence.