World view U.S. 'more positively'

[katty]

EXCERPT/more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7324337.stm

The World Service poll has been canvassing opinions about the influence of countries since 2005.

Of the 17 countries surveyed every year since 2005, positive views of the US have recovered for the first time this year to 32% after showing a steady decline over the previous three years.

Reacting to the poll results, senior US state department official Kurt Volker acknowledged perceptions had been negative in recent years, but said 2003 and 2004 had been an "anomaly" because of the Iraq war.

"I would say public opinion is a lagging indicator of what we are doing, working together with European governments and other elites," he said in a BBC interview.

"Everyone wants to be loved," he said.

But he added: "We are a superpower. We have tremendous responsibility, a large economy, large diplomatic reach and military reach, so naturally the world looks at the US with much greater attention than any other country in the world."