US survey: Nasrallah best loved by Arabs

Assad, Ahmadinejad high in popularity, Bush most hated; Iranian nuclear program "positive".

Nasrallah at mike 224.88 (photo credit: Channel 1 [file])
Nasrallah at mike 224.88
(photo credit: Channel 1 [file])
Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah is the most popular figure in the Arab world, says a new survey conducted by the University of Maryland and Zogby International. Syrian President Bashar Assad ranked the second most beloved personality, with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a close third. According to the study, quoted by the Al-Arab news site, 67% of participants believe that the Iranian nuclear program is "the most positive" development in the Middle East, and it is not seen as a threat. In contrast, the United States scored low in the survey - 80% of respondents expressed a lack of trust in the country, and US President George Bush scored the most hated person in the Arab world.