There are numerous indications support for Bin Laden, Al Quaeda and their tactics are beginning to see significant declines. First discussed here, and now discussed in Morocco – with a surprising uptick in favorable view of the US.

A new poll shows that public support for Osama bin Laden and terrorism has sharply declined in several Muslim countries, including Morocco. However, the Pew Global Attitudes Project research shows that this support remains substantial overall, and has risen slightly in two countries – Pakistan and Jordan.

In Morocco, just 26% of the public now say they have a lot or some confidence in Bin Laden, down sharply from 49% in May 2003. In Indonesia, the public is now about evenly split, with 35% saying they place at least some confidence in bin Laden and 37% saying they have little or none; that represents a major shift since 2003, when 58% expressed confidence in bin Laden.

In Lebanon, just 2% report some or a lot of confidence in bin Laden, and in Turkey only 7% do so. However, in Pakistan, a narrow majority (51%) places some measure of confidence in bin Laden, a slight increase from 45% in 2003.

And in Jordan, support for the Al Qaeda leader has risen over the last two years from 55% to a current 60%, including 25% who say they have a lot of confidence in him.

This may explain the excalation in violence everywhere. AQ probably believes, incorrectly, they need to become more indiscriminately violent to regain the respect of the Muslim/Arab world. Or at least to try and control them through fear. But once support slips away and the preferred choice forward is Bush’s vision of democratic societies across the globe, it is all over for AQ.