PARIS, Oct 31: Seven weeks after the shock attacks on New York and Washington triggered an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity and shared grief, European support for the US military response has begun to ebb away.

As images of the collapse of the World Trade Centre and weeping, stunned Americans crowded the Old Continent’s television screens, Europeans appeared all but united in sympathy for their trans-Atlantic allies.

Statesmen ripped up their schedules and made a beeline for the United States to stand by its leaders among the smoking ruins, while the Council of Europe decreed a day of mourning for the 800 million citizens of its member states.

But as the US victims slide off the screens and are replaced by maimed Afghan refugees fleeing a seemingly futile American bombardment, it is clear that public sympathy has not translated directly into support for military action.

“I doubt these bombardments are getting anywhere,” said Mario Soares, former president of Portugal and a Socialist member of the European parliament.

“We are on the eve of a humanitarian catastrophe, there are millions of people who are going to die of hunger.”

While support for the US military strikes does remain generally high, polls show that it is dropping fast.

A poll in the British daily The Guardian showed approval of the US campaign dropping from 74 to 62 per cent within the last two weeks.

And in France a survey for the CSA polling agency showed French support falling from 66 to 51 per cent.

One poll for the Forsa Institute showed that 51 per cent of Germans backed the strikes but a second, published a few days later, showed that 69 per cent would like to see a pause in bombing to allow food aid into Afghanistan.—AFP