Post by Hussar on Aug 21, 2004 22:07:08 GMT -5
what the rest of us figured out a couple of years ago. Just a friendly poke.
From the Miami Herald:
WASHNGTON - Americans' opposition to the Iraq war continues to grow, with 69 percent of the public saying the Bush administration launched the war based on incorrect assumptions, according to a survey released Friday.
In a finding that tracks other polling, nearly half of those surveyed (49 percent) now say the U.S. decision to go to war was wrong, compared to 46 percent who say it was correct, according to the survey for the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA).
One year ago, 63 percent said the decision to go to war was correct.
The nationwide poll of 733 people was conducted Aug. 5-11 by Knowledge Networks. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
A large majority (80 percent) perceives the administration is still asserting, as it did before the war, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction though evidence of such weapons has not been found.
A Senate Intelligence Committee report in July concluded that U.S. intelligence misjudged the Iraqi threat, and that Iraq had only limited WMD activity before the war.
Bush officials now say the war was justified because Iraq had the capability for such weapons, and cite another reason -- freeing Iraq from a dictatorship with strong ties to terrorism.
The poll found that 55 percent believe the administration is continuing to assert that Iraq was ''working closely'' with the al Qaeda terrorist network. The Sept. 11 commission report last month concluded that there had been contacts between Iraqi officials and al Qaeda members, but Iraq did not give al Qaeda substantial support.
Belief in the twin claims of Iraqi WMD and close cooperation with al Qaeda has dropped to about half of those polled.
''Though the public hears the Bush administration still saying that Iraq had WMD and gave substantial support to al Qaeda, since the 9/11 Commission and Senate Intelligence reports, more Americans have doubts and support for the decision to go to war has eroded,'' said Steven Kull, director of the program at the University of Maryland.
Other polls this summer showed a similar erosion of support for the war. A Gallup poll in July found that 50 percent see the war as a mistake and an Associated Press/Ipsos poll this week found that 53 percent said the war was a mistake.
A Time magazine survey this month found a 47-47 percent split on whether the war was right or wrong.
The administration has sought to equate the Iraq conflict with the war on terrorism, but a majority in the PIPA poll saw a distinction.
Asked about the use of U.S. resources, 52 percent said it would have been better to put a higher priority on pursuing al Qaeda and stabilizing Afghanistan, while 39 percent said invading Iraq and overthrowing Saddam Hussein was a better use of forces.
The public has become more pessimistic about the war and its consequences. A strong majority (69 percent) said the war has made the U.S. image in the world worse, and half (49 percent) said U.S. involvement in Iraq is creating more terrorists.
As to the prospects for Iraq, 46 percent said they were not confident the U.S. mission would succeed, and 51 percent perceive that a majority of Iraqis want U.S. forces to leave.
Those two factors, more than U.S. casualties, were driving opposition to the war, Kull said. Asked about U.S. troop strength, 29 percent wanted to decrease it, 26 percent wanted to maintain current levels, 18 percent backed an increase and 24 percent wanted a complete withdrawal.
While the poll results may spell trouble for Bush's reelection, there is deep division over whether the president is responsible for presenting inaccurate information to gain support for the war.
The poll found that 48 percent believe Bush gave the nation ''the most accurate information he had before going to war,'' while 49 percent said Bush ``deliberately misled people to make the case for war.''
www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/9457584.htm?1c
That last bit I think is the most telling. And I believe that's what's going to cost Bush the election. When almost half of your country thinks you deliberately lied to them, it kind of hurts your credibility regardless of the merits of your ideas.
From the Miami Herald:
WASHNGTON - Americans' opposition to the Iraq war continues to grow, with 69 percent of the public saying the Bush administration launched the war based on incorrect assumptions, according to a survey released Friday.
In a finding that tracks other polling, nearly half of those surveyed (49 percent) now say the U.S. decision to go to war was wrong, compared to 46 percent who say it was correct, according to the survey for the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA).
One year ago, 63 percent said the decision to go to war was correct.
The nationwide poll of 733 people was conducted Aug. 5-11 by Knowledge Networks. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
A large majority (80 percent) perceives the administration is still asserting, as it did before the war, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction though evidence of such weapons has not been found.
A Senate Intelligence Committee report in July concluded that U.S. intelligence misjudged the Iraqi threat, and that Iraq had only limited WMD activity before the war.
Bush officials now say the war was justified because Iraq had the capability for such weapons, and cite another reason -- freeing Iraq from a dictatorship with strong ties to terrorism.
The poll found that 55 percent believe the administration is continuing to assert that Iraq was ''working closely'' with the al Qaeda terrorist network. The Sept. 11 commission report last month concluded that there had been contacts between Iraqi officials and al Qaeda members, but Iraq did not give al Qaeda substantial support.
Belief in the twin claims of Iraqi WMD and close cooperation with al Qaeda has dropped to about half of those polled.
''Though the public hears the Bush administration still saying that Iraq had WMD and gave substantial support to al Qaeda, since the 9/11 Commission and Senate Intelligence reports, more Americans have doubts and support for the decision to go to war has eroded,'' said Steven Kull, director of the program at the University of Maryland.
Other polls this summer showed a similar erosion of support for the war. A Gallup poll in July found that 50 percent see the war as a mistake and an Associated Press/Ipsos poll this week found that 53 percent said the war was a mistake.
A Time magazine survey this month found a 47-47 percent split on whether the war was right or wrong.
The administration has sought to equate the Iraq conflict with the war on terrorism, but a majority in the PIPA poll saw a distinction.
Asked about the use of U.S. resources, 52 percent said it would have been better to put a higher priority on pursuing al Qaeda and stabilizing Afghanistan, while 39 percent said invading Iraq and overthrowing Saddam Hussein was a better use of forces.
The public has become more pessimistic about the war and its consequences. A strong majority (69 percent) said the war has made the U.S. image in the world worse, and half (49 percent) said U.S. involvement in Iraq is creating more terrorists.
As to the prospects for Iraq, 46 percent said they were not confident the U.S. mission would succeed, and 51 percent perceive that a majority of Iraqis want U.S. forces to leave.
Those two factors, more than U.S. casualties, were driving opposition to the war, Kull said. Asked about U.S. troop strength, 29 percent wanted to decrease it, 26 percent wanted to maintain current levels, 18 percent backed an increase and 24 percent wanted a complete withdrawal.
While the poll results may spell trouble for Bush's reelection, there is deep division over whether the president is responsible for presenting inaccurate information to gain support for the war.
The poll found that 48 percent believe Bush gave the nation ''the most accurate information he had before going to war,'' while 49 percent said Bush ``deliberately misled people to make the case for war.''
www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/9457584.htm?1c
That last bit I think is the most telling. And I believe that's what's going to cost Bush the election. When almost half of your country thinks you deliberately lied to them, it kind of hurts your credibility regardless of the merits of your ideas.
he tought he was doing good .. lies he only though of how his dad was defeated once before and he had to get his revenge!!! and we just sat by and let him with the "twin towers" as an excuse to gety over thare not one NOT ONE W.O.M.D and we still fight on. sure lets let our sodgers die just so we can stabilise the pain and greff we casused to inocents .. ? excuse me but if someone came in our land im sure thare would be a SHSAIDFIT load of ppl that would fight back .. just as thay did .. only to protect them selfs .. as we thought we were doing the right thing thay knew thay were.. IT WAS THARE LAND we should not control thare oil we should not be able to just take what we wish by takeing lifes of ppl ONLY FIGHTING for what thay belive in just as we do ...