So I have to presume that there is something wrong with this poll. And there is certainly something wrong with how it is summed up in this article.
The statement in paragraph 2 is contradicted by paragraph 3.
Para 2: "Almost two-thirds in the United States support such interrogations in the U.S. by their own government.
Para 3: "...38 percent...said they thought torture could be justified at least sometimes. About one-fourth said it could be justified rarely, and 36 percent said it could never be justified."
36%: Never justified
25%: Rarely justified
= 61%
To say that those polled "SUPPORT such interrogations" (2/3rds!) is not the same thing as saying that some think it might be "justified" "at least sometimes" (38%) or could "rarely" be "justified" (25%). Adding these two very iffy "justified's" together (2/3rds) does NOT create "support" for a torture policy. Maybe I'm quibbling here, but, if someone asked me if something is "justified," and I said, "Maybe," that does NOT mean that I "SUPPORT" it! "Justified" means ok, maybe in some extreme circumstances, I might forgive breaking the law. "Support" means that I advocate the policy! Paragraph 3 does not support the paragraph 2 statement about Americans, who mostly (61% in this poll) DON'T "support" a policy of torture.
Also, what does "rarely justified" mean? Probably something like a nuclear bomb set to go off in a city, and law enforcement has custody of someone whom they think knows where it is. Most people would probably look the other way, or later forgive, torture in that circumstance--but still not approve of it GENERALLY, and certainly NOT the RANDOM torture of hundreds of "innocent until proven guilty" "enemy combatants"--with piles of naked bodies, dogs threatening prisoners, and torture DEATHS that the Bush junta is conducting in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan and UNDISCLOSED LOCATIONS in middle Europe. How was the question put to those being polled?
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Anyway, here's what all other polls say:
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Most Americans Oppose Torture Techniques
Analysis (ABC News)
By David Morris and Gary Langer
May 27, 2004— Americans by nearly 2-to-1 oppose torturing terrorism suspects — but half believe the U.S. government, as a matter of policy, is doing it anyway. And even more think the government is employing physical abuse that falls short of torture in some cases.
Given pro and con arguments, 63 percent in an ABC News/Washington Post poll say torture is never acceptable, even when other methods fail and authorities believe the suspect has information that could prevent terrorist attacks. Thirty-five percent say torture is acceptable in some such cases. (MORE)
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Polls/torture_poll_040527.html---------
American poll shows most reject torture
By Richard Morin, Claudia Deane
Washington
May 29, 2004
Most Americans reject torture as a technique to force suspected terrorists to answer questions about possible attacks, a Washington Post-ABC News poll has found.
But they are divided on whether less harsh forms of physical abuse should be allowed to compel unco-operative suspects to reveal information that could save lives.
More than six in 10 - 63 per cent - of the public say torture is never acceptable, even in cases in which a suspect is believed to have knowledge of an upcoming terrorist attack. Slightly more than one in three say torture can be used in some cases. (MORE)
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/28/1085641709708.html?from=storyrhs&oneclick=true---------
Public Opinion on Torture, the Iraq War, and Civil Liberties, New findings from Retro Poll
BERKELEY -- May 5, 2005 -- In a series of polls by Retro Poll 72-89 percent of the American public consistently opposed the use of torture by the U.S. government. A recent poll by the Gallup organization confirmed these results....// Opposition to lengthy detentions without trial remained strong (75 percent) as did support for international prosecution of war crimes (73 percent). (MORE)
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0505-14.htm----------
U.S. Public Found to Reject Detainee Torture and Coercion
Published on Friday, July 23, 2004 by OneWorld.net
by Jim Lobe
WASHINGTON - Amid new reports of abuses by U.S. soldiers of Iraqi and other detainees, a major survey of U.S. public attitudes shows strong opposition to torture and many of the other more-coercive methods that were authorized under some circumstances by Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and used against prisoners held by U.S. forces.
The survey, conducted by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA), found that 66 percent of the U.S. believe that "governments should never use physical torture" and that 60 percent believe that all captured individuals should have the right to appeal their status to a neutral judge, even if they are not conventional soldiers as defined by the Geneva Conventions.
Seventy-seven percent of respondents said a soldier should have the right to refuse to follow an order if he or she believes that it was a violation of international law. (MORE)
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0723-03.htm----------------
(Four out of Five Americans oppose torture...see**) (and some other interesting opinions)
Retro Poll May 11, 2004
Findings from a new national poll show support for impeachment, growing opposition to war on terrorism.
Berkeley--Reporting from an ongoing survey of public knowledge and opinion, Berkeley based NGO Retro Poll released startling results suggesting that 39% of Americans favor impeachment of President Bush. The poll, taken between April 19 and May 5 asked whether people believe that misleading Congress and the Public on weapons of mass destruction to take the country to war is grounds to impeach the President (39% said yes, 40% said no). On whether the U.S. should have invaded Iraq the poll results are consistent with findings of Gallup and other major polls (48% said yes).
Other surprising findings were that almost half of respondents (46%) favor an independent investigation of the U.S. role in the overthrow of Haiti's democratically elected president, Juan Bertrand Aristide, and 57% favor a national moratorium on the death penalty because of the procedural problems that have put many innocent people on death row (112 released so far). **Four out of five Americans also repudiate the use of torture.** (MORE)
http://www.retropoll.org/press_release_poll04.htm-----------------
(And for a state view...)
(Arizonans) 55% support ban on torture, poll says
Robbie Sherwood
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 23, 2005 12:00 AM
A KAET-TV poll released Tuesday said a majority of Arizonans, 55 percent, support proposed federal legislation that would ban the use of torture against terrorists, even if there is reason to believe they may have information that could save American lives. (MORE)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1123poll23.html----------