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[casi] polls and public opinion



Dear Lisa and list members,


Lisa asks about British public opinion vis a vis an attack on Iraq and if
there have been 'any polls' on this.

A piece in yesterday's Sunday Times stated that the current war preparations
'come as a poll for The Sunday Times show public opposition to British
involvement in an American-led strike has risen significantly in the past
four months. The YouGov survey found that 51% of people opposed the use of
British troops compared with 40% who would support action. In a similar
survey in March there was a slim majority in favour, with 45% and 43%
against. Today's survey also found that 49% thought that Tony Blair had
become the "puppet of George W Bush.' (Navy Prepares for Iraq Strike, 28
July).

On the other hand a MORI poll conducted earlier this year (whose results
were reported in the 1 April edition of Time magazine) found 56% of British
people opposed to extending the 'war on terrorism' to Iraq.

On the 17th July the Christian Science Monitor reported - in a piece
entitled Invading 'Iraq: Would the public go along?' - that  according to a
Gallup poll conducted in June 'little more than half of Americans say that
if the US  wins some allied support, they would approve of military action
against  Iraq, according to another June Gallup poll' and that '[t]hat
number shrinks to a  minority, however, in a scenario where the United
States would go it  alone - an option administration officials have not
ruled out.'

Best wishes,

Gabriel
voices uk

-----Original Message-----
From: Lisa Thomas <wearingpurple@yahoo.com>
To: casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk <casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk>
Date: 28 July 2002 23:01
Subject: [casi] How do the Brits at large feel about invading Iraq?


>In regard to the following article, some of us are
>letting our hopes rise that the Brits who know what's
>going on will stop British participation.  Then MAYBE
>Bush will reconsider.  We are working to try to get
>our congress to include Scott Ritter's testimony in
>the hearings next week, though we think even a stall
>in congress won't stop Bush from doing what he
>pleases.  Please let us know of any polls that seem to
>honestly indicate how a referendum would turn out
>there:
>
>Lisa, Quoting:
>
>Sunday Mirror
>
>RIFT OVER SADDAM
>TONY Blair has clashed with President George Bush over
>the go-ahead for a war on Saddam Hussein.
>
>The PM wants a fresh mandate from the United Nations
>for any military action.
>
>He fears a split in the Government and a serious
>diplomatic rift between the West and Middle East
>states if the US and Britain go it alone. Foreign
>office advisers have told him the present UN mandate
>for sanctions against Iraq does not cover an armed
>attempt to topple Saddam.
>
>And they insist a new vote for action should be taken
>by the UN security council, which would need the
>backing of Russia and China. But Mr Bush wants to
>press ahead with an attack to wrongfoot Saddam - and
>before opposition builds up too far in
>Western-friendly countries such as Jordan and Saudi
>Arabia.
>
>The rift raises the possibility of America going it
>alone without British troops.
>
>Full Article:
>http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/homepage/news/page.cfm?objectid=12069970&meth
od=sm_full&siteid=81959
>
>
>
>
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>
>_______________________________________________
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>



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Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk
All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk


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