Britons fear another terror attack, India undaunted

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November 04, 2005 11:15 IST

Britons, among others in the world, are the most fearful of recurring terrorist attacks, according to a global survey.

Nine out of 10 UK respondents said in a Synovate survey that they expected another terrorist incident after they were jolted by the public transport bombings in July.

''This is the highest among all markets which took part in the study,'' Synovate spokesperson John Surrey said.

A majority of UK and Indonesian respondents said they now looked twice at other passengers on public transport.

In India, where people have lived through the attack on Parliament four years ago, decades-long strikes on holy shrines and assorted bomb blasts in various parts of the country, 82 per cent of respondents said they feared a repeat incident, but three-quarters said their country could handle it.

In the UK, 77 per cent of the respondents said they did not feel as safe as they used to. They were followed by the Americans (66 per cent) and the Germans (64 per cent).

Surrey said the research confirmed that residents in countries that have been under terrorist attack worried more about a possible recurrence.

''It is clear that the London bombings have heightened fears of another attack in the near future,'' noted Chris Dubreuil, research director at Synovate Views Net.

''As a result, the UK public do not feel as safe as they used to and have changed their behaviour, heeding the government's message of vigilance,'' he added.

Six out of 10 French feel similarly unsettled.

''The fact that the findings show 84 per cent of French people anticipate a domestic terrorist attack is unsurprising,'' said Stephane Courqueux.

''The UK and Spain have seen attacks over the past 18 months-- it may only be a matter of time until we see something similar on French soil,'' he said.

Americans share a similar view. They continue to be on their collective guard, said Synovate's Larry Levin.

''They claim to have made some lifestyle changes to be better prepared for an attack,'' he said.

''Terror of 9/11, coupled with the bombings in London, have led the vast majority of Americans to agree that their country is susceptible to another violent attack. At least 84 per cent of Americans fear a terrorist attack on the US in the near future.

"Importantly, only one in four Americans believe the country are ready to respond,'' Mr Levin said.

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