Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (41895)	9/4/2002 4:46:11 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

ABC poll confirms Americans against Iraq attack: U.S. Support for War Against Iraq Drops Updated 3:45 PM ET September 4, 2002 - Public support for military action against Iraq has dropped to its lowest level since the war on terrorism began, with the public closely divided on whether or not such an attack would create a greater risk of terrorism. Fifty-six percent of Americans in this ABCNEWS Nightline poll favor military action to force Saddam Hussein from power, still a majority but down sharply from 69 percent in the last few weeks. Support drops further to a 39 percent minority if U.S. allies oppose it. Earlier last month it was a 54 percent majority. While most Americans (56 percent) think it's "very important" for the United States to force Saddam from power, the challenge for the Bush administration is to make the case that there's a significant enough threat to warrant military action. Forty-seven percent think the risk of further terrorism will be greater if the United States doesn't take military action against Iraq, but almost as many, 40 percent, think taking action poses the greater threat. In contrast, right after Sept. 11, 73 percent thought inaction against terrorists posed the greater risk, fueling widespread support for military action. Public Challenges Bush Another challenge for President Bush is convincing the public he has a clear policy on Iraq. Just four in 10 think he does. That's one reason the public's rating of Bush's handling of the situation isn't stellar. A bare majority (52 percent) approve, well below his overall job rating which recent polls have pegged in the mid-60s. Further, Americans overwhelmingly (80 percent) think Bush should get authorization from Congress before launching an attack on Iraq. The public splits on who should have the final say if Bush and Congress disagree: Forty-nine percent think it should be Congress; 45 percent say Bush. Prediction of War Weeks of public discussion about the prospect of military action against Iraq has most Americans, 71 percent, thinking the two nations are headed for war. And this isn't just projection on the part of those who support military action: Seventy-five percent of supporters think there will be war and almost as many opponents, 69 percent, agree. The expectation of war is much higher now than in 1997 when the United States and its allies were in a dispute with Iraq over weapons inspections (54 percent expected war then) and in 1996 when the United States fired missiles after Iraq attacked Kurdish rebels (52 percent). Factors Determining Military Action Support A critical factor in support for military action is a sense of threat. Support for attacking Iraq is highest (80 percent) among Americans who see inaction as the greater peril. That dives to 33 percent among those who think military action poses the greater risk of further terrorism. Having a clear policy also matters. Attacking Iraq to oust Saddam is favored by 72 percent of those who think Bush has a clear policy, compared to 44 percent of those who don't. And it's favored by 78 percent of those who think it's "very important" to force Saddam from power, compared to just 41 percent of those who call it "somewhat important." The decline in support for military action comes only among Democrats and independents, introducing partisan divisions on the issue. Now, 48 percent of Democrats support military action, down from 65 percent a few weeks ago, and support among independents has dropped by a similar amount (down 18 points to 53 percent). Republicans haven't wavered, with their support holding steady at about three-quarters. Support may have softened among those less loyal to the administration as a result of the recent public debate which has highlighted opposing views on how best to handle the issue. Methodology This ABCNEWS poll was conducted by telephone Aug. 29 among a random national sample of 504 adults. The results have a 4.5-point error margin. Fieldwork was conducted by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa. Previous ABCNEWS polls can be found in our PollVault .