Poll: A Split On Confronting Terrorism (CBS-NYT)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/20/opinion/polls/main2026039.shtml

Poll: A Split On Confronting Terrorism
Country Divided On Whether To Go After Terrorists In The Mideast

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2006

(CBS) An overwhelming majority of Americans believe Islamic fundamentalism is a real and growing threat — and that terror groups like al Qaeda ultimately want to destroy the United States — but they are divided on what to do about it, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll.

Seventy-six percent of respondents say Islamic fundamentalism is a real and growing threat to the United States. Forty-seven percent think the U.S. will be safer if it confronts terrorist organizations and states in the Middle East, as President Bush advocates, while 45 percent say the country will be safer if it stays out of other nations' affairs in the region.

THE U.S. WILL BE SAFER FROM TERRORISM IF IT…

Confronts terror groups and states in the Mideast
47%
Stays out of other countries' affairs in Mideast
45%

While Mr. Bush and the Senate seek a compromise on new rules governing the treatment of terror suspects, most Americans, 63 percent, think the United States should generally follow international agreements on handling prisoners of war.

Most Americans, 56 percent, say torture is never justified, while 35 percent say sometimes it is.


Full story and more poll results at link.

[PSPS]

1. Wow. Talk about a whacked poll

I'm not talking about the numbers, but the actual questions themselves. This is almost like a "push poll."

And notice how effectively the whitehouse has brainwashed a lot of people with the propagandistic "24." 35 percent say torture is "sometimes justified."

[MrPrax]

2. Whacked indeed...

Totally eliminates any question that the actions of the Bush Administration has caused an increase in threat due to the fact the US has been attacking Middle East countries. Just because the US 'thinks' they are being threatened by Islamic 'fundamentalism (?), doesn't make it so ... it merely suggests that the propaganda of the Bush administration has been effective.

Since the propaganda seeps into the 'copy' of poll reporting stories themselves, it's no wonder Americans are a little confused:

An overwhelming majority of Americans believe Islamic fundamentalism is a real and growing threat — and that terror groups like al Qaeda ultimately want to destroy the United States — but they are divided on what to do about it, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll.

Like who else?

This is like asking whether you think Leonard Pelletier should be released from prison even though being a convicted murderer he might kill your baby...?

Other than highly questionable videos being released by highly questionable sources called AQ, a group like Hezbullah wants Israel to stay out of Lebanon, the PLO/Hamas want Israel out of the occupied territories, the insurgency in Iraq wants the US out of their occupied country, the Afghani resistance wants the US out of their occupied, etc etc -- it's really only the US/Israel contending there is a threat to justify the CONTINUED occupation and fool the American people into believing that their under threat.

So polling brainwashed people is going to produce support for whatever they have been brainwashed into believing -- you can probably find people in the US that still believe that the Soviet Union is still a threat. Irrational? Most definitely...

[AX10]

3. 56-35 is not high enough, but it does show that the Democrats should...

have no fear in doing what it takes to defeat any changes that would legalize torture.