June 16, 2003
Americans Still Think Iraq Had Weapons of Mass Destruction Before War
Only a third believe Bush administration deliberately misled American public
by Frank Newport
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Only a minority of Americans -- mostly Democrats and independents -- believe the Bush administration has deliberately misled the American public about Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction. In part, this is related to the fact that most Americans continue to think it is likely that Iraq indeed did have weapons of mass destruction before the war began in March, although the number of Americans who are certain about this has dropped. Still, a slight majority of the public, including a third of Republicans, is willing to support the idea of congressional hearings into what the government knew about Iraq's capabilities to produce WMD before the war began.
These issues have become more important as the weeks have gone by since the end of the major fighting in Iraq and there continues to be no evidence that Iraq has either weapons of mass destruction or the facilities to create them. Some Democratic leaders and Democratic presidential candidates have begun criticizing the Bush administration for making what they contend were at the least misleading statements prior to the war. Additionally, news reports have focused on possible discrepancies between what the CIA may have told the administration about WMD and what the administration in turn told the public. Some in Congress are arguing for holding public hearings on the entire WMD situation and the severest of critics, both domestically and abroad, are arguing that the major premise for fighting the war may have been an exaggeration or fabricated.
Americans Hold to the Belief That Iraq Had Weapons of Mass Destruction, Although They Are Less Certain Now
The most recent Gallup Poll data suggest that well over 8 out of 10 Americans believe it is likely that Iraq did in fact have weapons of mass destruction and the facilities to create such weapons before the war, and that Iraq was also trying to develop nuclear weapons prior to the war. These broad sentiments have changed relatively little since February.
gallup.com
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