I think they actually do. The United States of America was the greatest supporter of a Radical Muslim State of Bosnia while most Americans still don't even know the difference between a Serbian or a Bosnian Muslim. Ask a 14 year old kid from ANY European country what the difference is, and they'll give you five paragraphs of information. Most American kids have never heard of Serbs because there aren't any Serbian rock or rap bands on MTV.
It's us Micky Mousers that don't have a clue what's going on in the world.
It really is amazing. Over the last 13 years, SO many people have asked me my ethnic background and when I make them guess they at first say, "Italian" and then I tell them that they're close... it's right across the Adriatic Sea from the Italians. Then they guess, "Greek" and I tell them that they're close again and they have me surrounded. Then they guess that I'm "Turkish". "Now you've got me COMPLETELY surrounded", is what I tell them... and then they give up. They give up even after I tell them that America was at war with the country in 1999. They shrug and say that they don't watch the news.
Oh well. I suppose I shouldn't get too discouraged. At least they understand that the 2nd Amendment protects their right to own guns and a couple have actually heard rumours that we once had a 4th Amendment.