Britons back bigger role for UN

Two-thirds of the European Union's citizens believe that the military invasion of Iraq was not justified and think that the United States should pay for the country's reconstruction, according to an opinion poll published yesterday.

The preliminary results of the poll, released by the European Commission, showed that most EU citizens thought the United Nations and the Iraqi provisional government should manage the rebuilding of Iraq, while only 18 percent felt the US should be in charge.

British citizens showed the greatest support for the United Nations managing the reconstruction at 72 per cent, compared with an EU average of 58 per cent. But those surveyed were allowed to express more than one preference, and the British also declared the greatest support for the provisional government being put in charge at 59 per cent, compared with an EU average of 44 per cent. However, their support for the Americans being in charge was also among the strongest, at 20 per cent.

An EU official responsible for analysing the poll, which surveyed 7,500 citizens in 15 countries, said: "It suggests that the British people are more involved than citizens from other countries. You have more British people saying that it should be a combination of actors - everybody is welcome to manage the rebuilding of Iraq."

Among the British, 69 per cent were in favour of the UK contributing financially to the rebuilding of Iraq, lagging behind the more generous Danes (76 per cent) and Dutch (74 per cent).

The Danes emerged as the most supportive of the ousting of Saddam Hussein: 57 per cent thought it justified, ahead of the British, of whom 44 per cent thought it justified and 51 per cent unjustified.