Poll: Only 53% of Americans Behind Sending Troops to Iraq

August 22, 2002
By Richard Benedetto, USA TODAY

A slight majority of Americans still supports sending ground troops to Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein, but the size of that majority has dwindled to pre-Sept. 11 levels, a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll finds.

At the same time, President Bush's job approval has fallen to 65%, still healthy but its lowest level since before Sept. 11. (Related: See full poll results.)

Support for sending troops to Iraq has fallen from a high of 74% in November to 53%.

The slide comes amid growing debate at home and abroad over the advisability of a military offensive that could disrupt trade and further inflame tensions in the Middle East.

Several U.S. allies have warned against going to war against Iraq. In the poll, most of those who support going to war want it to be with allied help.

On Thursday, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said his country's main aim is getting weapons inspectors back into Iraq, not removing Saddam. "The best way of trying to isolate and reduce that threat is by the introduction of weapons inspections," Straw said.

Bush has said his goal in Iraq is "regime change."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov said an attack on Iraq would be "unacceptable" and said Saddam should not be ousted. Russia confirmed Monday that it was talking with Iraq about a 10-year trade agreement.

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder reiterated his opposition to an attack on Iraq but said his country's position was not hurting German-U.S. relations. "Friendship does not mean having the same opinion on every question," he said.

As opposition builds, the fact that 53% "still support sending ground troops to Iraq is quite remarkable," says Karlyn Bowman, a polling analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

As far back as World War II, polls have found Americans reluctant to send soldiers into harm's way. But once the shooting begins, Americans initially rally around the flag.

In the case of Iraq, the poll contains evidence of attitudes that could swing Americans toward support of a war:
* 86% feel Saddam is involved in supporting terrorist groups planning to attack the United States.
* 94% believe Saddam either has weapons of mass destruction or is trying to develop them.
* 83% of those who say he has them believe he would use them.


Those polled were evenly split over whether the USA will be at war before the end of the year.

Politically, Americans place more trust in congressional Republicans than congressional Democrats, 41%-30%, to make the right decisions regarding Iraq.

However, the poll further suggests that if the November congressional elections were held today, Democrats would stand a good chance of taking back control of the House of Representatives.

Asked how they would vote in their district election, 50% of registered voters said they would vote for a Democrat and 42% said a Republican. The Aug. 19-21 poll of 801 adults has an error margin of +/- 4 percentage points.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2002-08-22-iraq-poll.htm