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Poll: War Support Grows, Even Attack on Iran, Syria
NewsMax ^ | April 5, 2003 | Carl Limbacher

Posted on 04/05/2003 2:21:32 PM PST by TLBSHOW

Poll: War Support Grows, Even Attack on Iran, Syria

America the beautiful is fast becoming America the bellicose, a new poll suggests.

As the nation's substantial backing of President Bush and the war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq soars, it now appears that a sizeable number of the public would even support military moves against Iran or Syria.

According to the anti-war, anti-Bush Los Angeles Times, their new poll shows a clear majority of Americans back the war in Iraq, and half those polled endorsed military action against Iran if it continues to develop nuclear weapons.

The poll disclosed that:

More than three-fourths of Americans -- including two-thirds of liberals and 70 percent of Democrats -- now say they support the decision to go to war.

More than four-fifths of these war supporters say they still will back the military action even if allied forces don't find evidence of weapons of mass destruction.

President Bush's overall job approval rating jumped to 68 percent, the highest level since last summer, and three-fourths of those polled said they trust him to make the right decisions on Iraq.

Americans are divided almost in half when it comes to having the U.S. take military action against Syria, which Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has accused of providing Iraq with military supplies. Syria has denied the accusation. But 42 percent said the United States should take action if Syria, in fact, provides aid to Iraq, while 46 percent said no.

More Americans take a hard line on Iran, which recently disclosed an advanced program to develop the enriched uranium that could be used in nuclear weapons. Exactly half said the United States should take military action against Iran if it continues to move toward nuclear-weapon development; 36 percent disagreed. Perhaps surprisingly, women are slightly more supportive of such action than men.

By a margin of 62 percent to 33 percent, those polled said the war is likely to make the world a safer place; 52 percent believe it will help stabilize the Middle East, while 21 percent believe it will seed more instability. Just under 20 percent think it's unlikely to have much effect either way.

The poll, which the Times explains took place "during a period of rapid allied gains in recent days,” revealed that Americans are largely satisfied with the pace of progress. A mere 14 percent said the war wasn't going as well as they expected, while 27 percent said it was exceeding their expectations and 56 percent said it was unfolding about as they had anticipated.

Just 6 percent of those polled said they supported the use of force before the war began but switched because of U.S. casualties; 16 percent said they had switched from opposition to support since the shooting started.

Only one-fifth said they believed the Bush administration had deliberately understated the risks of the war to rally public support. Two-fifths said it had offered an accurate preview, while one-third said the administration had honestly believed the war would unfold with less difficulty. "I had my own reservations about [the war] ... but my feeling is at least I can trust that this president is trying to do the right thing for the country," Christopher Hart, an author in Westport, Conn., who responded to the survey told the Times. "This man fully believes in what he does and I do not believe he is doing this for any reason other than that he is convinced it is in our best interest."

The Times says its poll, supervised by polling director Susan Pinkus, surveyed 745 adults Wednesday and Thursday; it has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

True to their ultra-liberal colors, the Times couldn’t wait to add that the President’s approval rating "didn't approach the 85 percent peak reached by his father, President George H.W. Bush, in Times polls during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.”

Other negative results:

A 2-to-1 majority said that, because of the war, the country cannot afford even the stripped-down, $350-billion version of Bush's proposed tax cut that the Senate recently approved. The Times quotes David Loveland, a stockbroker in Charleston, S.C. as saying "I wish he would pay attention to the economy. It appears his focus is on a lot of different things besides the economy." They don’t bother to quote any respondents who favored the Bush tax cut, a tactic they share with the New York Times which will travel to the Gobi Desert if they have to in order to find some liberal who agrees with their left-wing views.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: attack; iran; iraqifreedom; next; poll; pollsoniraq; support; syria; war; warlist

1 posted on 04/05/2003 2:21:32 PM PST by TLBSHOW
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To: TLBSHOW
We should liberate Califonia next.
2 posted on 04/05/2003 2:23:24 PM PST by thatdewd
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To: TLBSHOW
Nothing succeeds like success, those of us who advocated quick action have predicted this all along, once we win everybody is on board. That's why our repeated trips to the UN was nothing but a waste of time.
3 posted on 04/05/2003 2:26:53 PM PST by Truthsearcher
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To: Truthsearcher
it won't be a waste if we finish off the UN, if we don't finish off the UN then it was a waste of time.
4 posted on 04/05/2003 2:35:45 PM PST by TLBSHOW (Islam = Jihad Impulse-Control Disorder)
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To: TLBSHOW
Iran: the leadership only.
Syria: the whole blasted thing (or the whole thing blasted) take your pick.

Hey North Korea, wanna piece of this? We can make you a target of opportunity anytime. Vee hav da co-ord-in-ates!

"We know where you are sleeping,
We know where you're awake.
We know if you are bad enough,
Can you say target of opportunity for goodness sake!

Kim Jung Il's door:
Knock! knock! knock!
"Who'e there?"
"Land Shark"
"Go away"
Knock! knock! knock!
"Who's there?"
"Cruise missile"

5 posted on 04/05/2003 2:37:26 PM PST by KriegerGeist ("The weapons of our warefare are not carnal, but mighty though God for pulling down of strongholds")
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To: thatdewd
We should liberate Califonia next.

Great idea...I live in Marin County...can pretty please be a forward observer?...Just send me the laser designator...actually I will need a couple of dozen...its a target rich enviornment

6 posted on 04/05/2003 2:39:11 PM PST by antaresequity
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To: TLBSHOW
Forget about Syria and Iran- let's retake Berkeley and Cambridge from the lefty Fascists! I propose a short period of intensive bombing, followed by airborne assaults on both targets. War crimes trials to follow for any Lefties over 30 (because I expect the young ones to be dumb- but if you are a Lefty after age 30, you are evil).
7 posted on 04/05/2003 2:39:23 PM PST by RANGERAIRBORNE
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To: TLBSHOW; *war_list; W.O.T.; 11th_VA; Libertarianize the GOP; Free the USA; knak; sakka; MadIvan; ...
As the nation's substantial backing of President Bush and the war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq soars, it now appears that a sizeable number of the public would even support military moves against Iran or Syria.

Might as well finish the job!

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

8 posted on 04/05/2003 2:47:25 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Where is Saddam?)
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To: antaresequity
its a target rich enviornment

LOL, in that place it might be easier to designate the ones that are NOT targets...

9 posted on 04/05/2003 3:14:39 PM PST by thatdewd
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To: Truthsearcher
That's why our repeated trips to the UN was nothing but a waste of time.

While we were pouring 300,000 soldiers into the region, the U.N. was proving itself to be a better distraction than a cruise missile into a aspirin factory.

I'd say our military planners used the time and attention occupied by that sideshow very, very wisely.

10 posted on 04/05/2003 3:22:37 PM PST by WarSlut
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To: thatdewd
It will fall from within!
11 posted on 04/05/2003 4:50:56 PM PST by Calamari
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To: thatdewd
Followed by Seattle and Portland.
12 posted on 04/05/2003 6:27:47 PM PST by finnman69 (!)
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To: TLBSHOW
The world is full of trouble-making lunatics
The Syrians, Iranians and North Koreans are among the worst.

Whether or not we take action in Syria depends on Syria. Iran will probably succumb to a popular revolt from within.

North Korea must be dealt with expeditiously, as soon as the Iraqi situation is resolved.
13 posted on 04/05/2003 6:59:02 PM PST by ZULU
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To: ZULU
LAST WEEK THE United States held working-level talks with North Korea last week for the first time since the nuclear crisis broke out on the Korean peninsula last October, Kyodo news agency said yesterday.

The agency said the talks on the nuclear issue took place in New York from Monday to Wednesday. -- Reuters


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=US+TALKS+WITH+NORTH+KOREA+NEWS
14 posted on 04/05/2003 7:01:53 PM PST by TLBSHOW (there is one God and it is not Allah.......there is one SATAN and it is ALLAH......)
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