US focus on terror sees image hit all-time low: report

The United States needs to shift from muscle-flexing to alliance-building when it seeks to wield power in the world if it wants to patch up its battered global image, a new American report concludes.

"America's reputation, standing and influence are at all-time lows, and possibly sinking further," the report by a 20-member think-tank commissioned by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said, citing half a dozen opinion polls from around the world.

"The terrorist attacks on 9/11 caused America to become a frightened and angry nation," it said.

"We reacted in ways that alarmed people the world over ... we relied excessively on hard military power to fight the war against terrorists and violent extremists.

"Ultimately this is a battle that will be won by ideas, not bullets. Just like the Cold War, we will prevail when the world chooses the opportunities we defend over the despair offered by our enemies." ABC