London  - The so-called "war on terror" launched by the United States after the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington has failed to weaken the global terrorist network of al-Qaeda, an international poll published by the BBC Monday has found.

According to the survey, conducted among 24,000 adults in 23 countries, 29 per cent of those asked said the campaign launched by President George W Bush had had "no effect" on the Islamist militant network.

On average 22 per cent believed that al-Qaeda had been weakened, but 29 per cent thought the US policies had actually "strengthened" al-Qaeda, according to the GlobeScan survey.

In the US, the share of those who believed al-Qaeda had been weakened rose to 34 per cent, which, according to the BBC analysis, is a relatively small percentage.

In most countries surveyed, the population held a "negative view" of al-Qaeda, but this was not so in Egypt and Pakistan - two nations directly involved in the conflict with al-Qaeda, the poll showed.

When asked about their "feelings overall" for the terrorism network, some 60 per cent of respondents in Egypt said they held a "positive or a mixed view" of the organization, while 35 per cent said they had "negative" feelings.

In Pakistan, 41 per cent held a "positive or mixed view" and only 19 per cent they had a negative attitude towards al-Qaeda.

"The fact that so many people in Egypt and Pakistan have mixed or positive views of al-Qaeda is yet another indicator that the US war on terror is not winning hearts and minds," GlobeScan chairman Doug Miller said.

All in all, people in 15 nations held the view that neither the US nor al-Qaeda were "winning" the conflict between them.

Three countries - Kenya, Nigeria and Turkey - believe the US has the upper hand, but in Pakistan, 21 per cent believe that al-Qaeda is the winner.

Interestingly, countries with the largest numbers of people perceiving that the so-called war on terror has strengthened al-Qaeda include some of the US's closest allies.

In France, 48 per cent agreed with that view, in Britain 40 per cent, in Italy 43 per cent and in Australia 41 per cent.

"Despite its overwhelming military power, America's war against al-Qaeda is widely seen as having achieved nothing better than a stalemate and many believe that it has even strengthened al-Qaeda," commented Steven Kull, director of the Programme on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, which collaborated on the survey.

The poll was taken between July 8 and September 12, 2008. dpa