George W. Bush

==== Foreign perceptions ====
[[File:US military bases in the world 2007.PNG|thumb|240px|Countries with a [[United States military deployments|U.S. military presence]] in 2007]]

Bush was criticized internationally and targeted by the global [[Anti-war movement|anti-war]] and [[Anti-globalization movement|anti-globalization]] movements for his administration's foreign policy.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Die außenpolitischen Positionen der Parteien im Bundestagswahlkampf 2002 |year=2002 |author1=M. Overhaus |author2=S. Schieder |journal=Politik Im Netz |url=http://www.deutsche-aussenpolitik.de/daparchive/dateien/2002/01300.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201035037/http://www.deutsche-aussenpolitik.de/daparchive/dateien/2002/01300.pdf |archive-date=February 1, 2016 |language=de |volume=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Gray |url=http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes2006/realitycheck/americans.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826055103/http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes2006/realitycheck/americans.html |archive-date=August 26, 2007 |title=Was the American ambassador meddling in a Canadian election? |publisher=[[CBC News]] |date=December 14, 2005 |access-date=June 23, 2009 }}</ref> Views of him within the international community{{snd}}even in France, a close ally of the United States{{snd}}were more negative than those of most previous American presidents.<ref>{{cite news |last=Walt |first=Vivienne |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2003-02-13-france-usat_x.htm |title=French see Bush as the ugly American |newspaper=USA Today |date=February 13, 2003 |access-date=June 23, 2009}}</ref>

Bush was described as having especially close personal relationships with Tony Blair of the United Kingdom and [[Vicente Fox]] of Mexico, although formal relations were sometimes strained.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR2006030201431.html|title=Keeping the U.S. at Bay, Mexican Presidential Candidate Looks to Move Past Fox's Failures|last=Sanchez|first=Marcela|date=March 3, 2006|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/15/deathpenalty/main518772.shtml|title=Mexico's President Snubs Bush, Vicente Fox Cancels Visit To Bush Ranch To Protest Execution|date=August 15, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424042549/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/15/deathpenalty/main518772.shtml|archive-date=April 24, 2008|publisher=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/nov/11/uk.usa|title=Row over Bush security as Blair defends visit|author1=Ewen MacAskill|date=November 11, 2003|newspaper=The Guardian; London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080422065403/http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2003/nov/11/uk.usa|archive-date=April 22, 2008|author2=Hugh Muir|place=Washington|author3=Julian Borger}}</ref> Other leaders, such as [[Hamid Karzai]] of Afghanistan,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/world/asia/26afghan.html|title=Afghan Leader Criticizes U.S. on Conduct of War|last=Gall|first=Carlotta|date=April 26, 2008|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211222833/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/world/asia/26afghan.html|archive-date=December 11, 2008}}</ref> [[Yoweri Museveni]] of Uganda,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article5951|title=Uganda's president criticizes Bush administration's handling of war in Iraq|last=Wasswa|first=Henry|date=October 14, 2004|work=[[Sudan Tribune]]|access-date=June 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020004237/http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article5951|archive-date=October 20, 2007}}</ref> [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]] of Spain,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/mar/16/usa.iraq|title=Spanish leader accuses Bush and Blair|last=Tremlett|first=Giles|date=March 16, 2004|work=The Guardian|access-date=June 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122111325/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/mar/16/usa.iraq|archive-date=January 22, 2009|location=UK}}</ref> and [[Hugo Chávez]] of Venezuela,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/sep/21/usa.venezuela|title=Chávez attacks 'devil' Bush in UN speech|author=Ed Pilkington in New York|date=September 21, 2006|work=The Guardian|access-date=October 20, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827075345/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/sep/21/usa.venezuela|archive-date=August 27, 2009|location=UK}}</ref> openly criticized the president. Later in Bush's presidency, tensions arose between him and [[Vladimir Putin]], which led to a cooling of their relationship.<ref name="LeeryofPutin">{{cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20060721-9999-1n21usrussia.html|title=Bush, White House now leery of Putin as Russian turns back on democracy|last=Condon|first=George E. Jr.|date=July 21, 2006|work=U-T San Diego|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524084052/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20060721-9999-1n21usrussia.html|archive-date=May 24, 2008|access-date=September 1, 2008}}</ref>

In 2006, most respondents in 18 of 21 countries surveyed around the world were found to hold an unfavorable opinion of Bush. Respondents indicated that they judged his administration as negative for world security.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/bbcpoll.html|title=In 18 of 21 Countries Polled, Most See Bush's Reelection as Negative for World Security|year=2004|publisher=[[BBC World Service]] and [[Program on International Policy Attitudes]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609001048/http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/bbcpoll.html|archive-date=June 9, 2008|access-date=September 1, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/04/world/main604135.shtml|title=Polls: World Not Pleased With Bush|date=March 4, 2004|access-date=September 1, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123235709/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/04/world/main604135.shtml|archive-date=January 23, 2009|publisher=CBS News|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> In 2007, the [[Pew Global Attitudes Project]] reported that during the Bush presidency, attitudes towards the United States, and towards Americans, became less favorable around the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pewglobal.org/commentary/display.php?AnalysisID=1019|title=America's Image in the World: Findings from the Pew Global Attitudes Project|date=March 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228094109/http://pewglobal.org/commentary/display.php?AnalysisID=1019|archive-date=December 28, 2008|access-date=June 23, 2009}}</ref> The [[Pew Research Center]]'s 2007 Global Attitudes poll found that in only nine countries of 47 did most respondents express "a lot of confidence" or "some confidence" in Bush: Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Israel, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, and Uganda.<ref name="pew research">{{cite web|url=http://pewglobal.org/reports/pdf/256topline.pdf|title=Pew Global Attitudes Project: Spring 2007, Survey of 47 Publics, Final 2007 Comparative Topline|date=June 27, 2007|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214131220/http://pewglobal.org/reports/pdf/256topline.pdf|archive-date=December 14, 2009|access-date=September 1, 2008}}</ref> A March 2007 survey of Arab opinion conducted by Zogby International and the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]] found that Bush was the most disliked leader in the Arab world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/594/middle-east-opinion-iran-fears-arent-hitting-the-arab-street|title=Middle East Opinion: Iran Fears Aren't Hitting the Arab Street|last=Kiernan|first=Peter|date=March 1, 2007|publisher=World Politics Review Exclusive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512092948/http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/594/middle-east-opinion-iran-fears-arent-hitting-the-arab-street|archive-date=May 12, 2013}}</ref>

During a June 2007 visit to the predominantly Muslim<ref>{{cite web |access-date=October 30, 2010 |url=http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1370/mapping-size-distribution-worlds-muslim-population |title=Mapping the Global Muslim Population – A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010144905/http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1370/mapping-size-distribution-worlds-muslim-population |archive-date=October 10, 2009 |date=October 7, 2009 }}</ref> [[Albania]], Bush was greeted enthusiastically. Albania has a population of 2.8&nbsp;million,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://census.al/Resources/Data/Census2011/Instat_print%20.pdf |title=Albania: Preliminary results of the Population and Housing Census 2011 |access-date=February 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112022139/http://census.al/Resources/Data/Census2011/Instat_print%20.pdf |archive-date=January 12, 2012}}</ref> has troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the country's government is highly supportive of American foreign policy.<ref name="albania">{{cite news |date=June 10, 2007 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6738055.stm |title=Bush greeted as hero in Albania |publisher=BBC |access-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205001355/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6738055.stm |archive-date=February 5, 2009 }}</ref> A huge image of the President was hung in the middle of the capital city of [[Tirana]] flanked by Albanian and American flags while a local street was named after him.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 10, 2007 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10919634 |publisher=[[National Public Radio|NPR]] |first=Vicky |last=O'Hara |title=Bush Gets Warm Reception in Albania |archive-date=April 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414224656/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10919634 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=June 8, 2007 |access-date=July 6, 2011 |url=http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/albanian-street-named-after-george-w-bush |title=Albanian Street Named After George W. Bush |publisher=[[Balkan Insight]] |archive-date=August 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823061238/http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/albanian-street-named-after-george-w-bush }}</ref> A shirt-sleeved statue of Bush was unveiled in [[Fushë-Krujë]], a few kilometers northwest of Tirana.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 6, 2011 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-albania-statue-bush-idUSTRE7655J520110706 |title=Albanian town thanks George W. Bush with statue |work=Reuters |access-date=July 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709055227/https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/06/us-albania-statue-bush-idUSTRE7655J520110706 |archive-date=July 9, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Bush administration's support for the unilateral [[2008 Kosovo declaration of independence|declaration of independence]] of Albanian-majority [[Kosovo]], while endearing him to the Albanians, troubled U.S. relations with Serbia, leading to the February 2008 torching of the U.S. embassy in [[Belgrade]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/world/europe/24iht-kosovo.1.10332489.html |title=Serbian official blames U.S. for recent violence |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 4, 2008 |first=Dan |last=Bilefsky |access-date=April 9, 2010 |archive-date=May 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513191101/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/world/europe/24iht-kosovo.1.10332489.html }}</ref>