Reflecting the anti-Pakistan mood prevailing in the US after the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, a latest opinion poll has said at least 4 out of every 5 Americans think that the Pakistani establishment had knowledge of the hideout of the top al-Qaeda leader.
"Just 15% of Americans say the United States should continue military and financial aid to Pakistan. Sixty-three per cent say that aid should not continue, while 22% are not sure," Rasmussen said in a statement after its new national telephone survey.
"Americans overwhelmingly believe top Pakistani officials knew Osama bin Laden's whereabouts and strongly oppose further US aid to the country where the top terrorist was found," Rasmussen said.
The poll showed that 84% of American adults think it is at least somewhat likely that high-level officials in Pakistan government knew where bin Laden was hiding. That includes 57% who say it is very likely they knew.
Only 9% believe it is not likely that Pakistan knew.
Further, only 5% of adults now regard Pakistan as an ally of the US, down from 15% in August of last year. Twenty-six per cent view Pakistan as an enemy, although that is down from 31% in the previous survey.
Now the majority -- 61% -- rate Pakistan as somewhere in between an ally and an enemy, the poll showed.
Rasmussen said these doubts perhaps help to explain why just 8% think the United States should have taken permission from Pakistan before it launched the secret mission against bin Laden within Pakistan's borders.
Seventy two per cent say that permission was not necessary, while 20% are not sure.
The telephonic survey of 1,000 adults was conducted on May 4-5 by Rasmussen Reports
