INVASION & OCCUPATION stop calling it a war!
- Thread starter jjw1965
- Start date
Most Brits now support the war in Iraq.
More Brits think we went to war over Human Rights than those who think it was for oil and more Brits think Tony Blair DIDN'T lie about WMD than those who think he did.
In performance over the Iraq War, the British rate the British Army the highest, and they rated the French as the lowest.
They think that the war hasn't contributed to the security of Britain, but that it HAS contributed to the security of the US.
The majority think that Britain SHOULD go to war at times WITHOUT the authorisation of the UN, and the majority think Britain should be allied more closely to the United States than to France and Germany.
Iraq, one year on - UK survey
Below is a full list of findings from the ICM poll of British attitudes about the Iraq war for BBC Newsnight's special programme One Year On - Iraq.
Researchers interviewed 1,014 people between 10-12 March 2004.
SECTION ONE: TRUST IN GOVERNMENT
1) War - right or wrong
Thinking about the build-up to the Iraq war and everything that has happened since, do you think that taking military action was the right thing to do, or the wrong thing to do?
Right: 48%
Wrong: 43%
Don't know: 9%
2) Was the war legal?
Legal: 37%
Illegal: 39% Close-run thing.
Don't know: 24%
3) Did the government lie about WMD?
In the run up to the war with Iraq, do you think Tony Blair and his government...
Told the truth: 29%
Exaggerated but did not lie: 40%
Lied: 22%
Don't know: 8%
4) Trust in Blair after the war
Trust him more: 4%
Trust him less: 42%
Makes no difference: 52%
Don't know: 2%
5) Satisfaction with Tony Blair
Satisfied: 37%
Dissatisfied: 57%
Don't know: 6%
6) Who would you trust to decide next time?
If the British government had to decide again whether to take military action, who would you trust to make the best decision?
Tony Blair: 32%
Michael Howard: 22%
Charles Kennedy: 17%
Don't know/ None: 28%
7) Performance
Thinking of the following and their performance over the Iraq war, can you mark them out of 10, with 10 meaning they have done an excellent job and with 0 meaning a terrible job:
British forces: 8.3
US military: 6.6
BBC: 6.4
UN: 5.8
British intelligence: 5.6
Tony Blair: 4.9
Clare Short: 4.4
George W Bush: 4.3
France: 3.9
(Average scores out of 10)
SECTION TWO: JUSTIFICATION FOR WAR
8) Security
Do you think the war with Iraq has or has not contributed to the long-term security...
Of the UK?
Has: 34%
Has not: 55%
Don't know: 11%
Of the US?
Has: 57%
Has not: 40%
Don't know: 3%
9) What do you consider the main reason for the war?
Credibility of UN: 3%
WMD: 10%
Human rights: 27%
Oil: 15%
International terrorism: 15%
UK's relationship with USA: 26%
10) Bush and Blair
Is Britain's closeness to America...
Good for Britain: 45%
Bad for Britain: 20%
Makes no difference: 32%
Don't know: 3%
Is Tony Blair's closeness to George W Bush...
Good for Britain: 25%
Bad for Britain: 29%
Makes no difference: 42%
Don't know: 3%
(Half the sample were asked the first question, other half were asked the second question)
SECTION THREE: WAR ON TERROR
11) Justification
In which of the following circumstances would you support going to war with another country?
Support war against another country if they...
Attacked the UK: 87%
Attacked an ally: 68%
Possessed WMD: 59%
Harboured terrorists: 51%
Committed atrocities: 55%
Don't know: 6%
12) Intervention
With regard to military intervention, do you agree or disagree with Tony Blair who said that "in certain clear circumstances, we [should] intervene, even though we are not directly threatened."?
Agree: 49%
Disagree: 45%
Don't know: 6%
13) Should Britain use military force...
Only when authorised by the UN: 46%
When in Britain's interests even without UN: 48%
Don't know: 6%
14) Europe or USA?
In the future when military intervention is being considered, should Tony Blair side more closely with the USA or with France and Germany?
USA: 46%
France/Germany: 34%
Don't know: 21%
15) 'Axis of evil'
George Bush described North Korea, Iran and Iraq as "an axis of evil". Do you believe the UK government could convince you to support military intervention against Iran and North Korea?
Could you support military action against Iran?
Yes: 26%
No: 66%
Don't know: 8%
Against North Korea?
Yes: 24%
No: 67%
Don't know: 8%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More Brits think we went to war over Human Rights than those who think it was for oil and more Brits think Tony Blair DIDN'T lie about WMD than those who think he did.
In performance over the Iraq War, the British rate the British Army the highest, and they rated the French as the lowest.
They think that the war hasn't contributed to the security of Britain, but that it HAS contributed to the security of the US.
The majority think that Britain SHOULD go to war at times WITHOUT the authorisation of the UN, and the majority think Britain should be allied more closely to the United States than to France and Germany.
Iraq, one year on - UK survey
Below is a full list of findings from the ICM poll of British attitudes about the Iraq war for BBC Newsnight's special programme One Year On - Iraq.
Researchers interviewed 1,014 people between 10-12 March 2004.
SECTION ONE: TRUST IN GOVERNMENT
1) War - right or wrong
Thinking about the build-up to the Iraq war and everything that has happened since, do you think that taking military action was the right thing to do, or the wrong thing to do?
Right: 48%
Wrong: 43%
Don't know: 9%
2) Was the war legal?
Legal: 37%
Illegal: 39% Close-run thing.
Don't know: 24%
3) Did the government lie about WMD?
In the run up to the war with Iraq, do you think Tony Blair and his government...
Told the truth: 29%
Exaggerated but did not lie: 40%
Lied: 22%
Don't know: 8%
4) Trust in Blair after the war
Trust him more: 4%
Trust him less: 42%
Makes no difference: 52%
Don't know: 2%
5) Satisfaction with Tony Blair
Satisfied: 37%
Dissatisfied: 57%
Don't know: 6%
6) Who would you trust to decide next time?
If the British government had to decide again whether to take military action, who would you trust to make the best decision?
Tony Blair: 32%
Michael Howard: 22%
Charles Kennedy: 17%
Don't know/ None: 28%
7) Performance
Thinking of the following and their performance over the Iraq war, can you mark them out of 10, with 10 meaning they have done an excellent job and with 0 meaning a terrible job:
British forces: 8.3
US military: 6.6
BBC: 6.4
UN: 5.8
British intelligence: 5.6
Tony Blair: 4.9
Clare Short: 4.4
George W Bush: 4.3
France: 3.9
(Average scores out of 10)
SECTION TWO: JUSTIFICATION FOR WAR
8) Security
Do you think the war with Iraq has or has not contributed to the long-term security...
Of the UK?
Has: 34%
Has not: 55%
Don't know: 11%
Of the US?
Has: 57%
Has not: 40%
Don't know: 3%
9) What do you consider the main reason for the war?
Credibility of UN: 3%
WMD: 10%
Human rights: 27%
Oil: 15%
International terrorism: 15%
UK's relationship with USA: 26%
10) Bush and Blair
Is Britain's closeness to America...
Good for Britain: 45%
Bad for Britain: 20%
Makes no difference: 32%
Don't know: 3%
Is Tony Blair's closeness to George W Bush...
Good for Britain: 25%
Bad for Britain: 29%
Makes no difference: 42%
Don't know: 3%
(Half the sample were asked the first question, other half were asked the second question)
SECTION THREE: WAR ON TERROR
11) Justification
In which of the following circumstances would you support going to war with another country?
Support war against another country if they...
Attacked the UK: 87%
Attacked an ally: 68%
Possessed WMD: 59%
Harboured terrorists: 51%
Committed atrocities: 55%
Don't know: 6%
12) Intervention
With regard to military intervention, do you agree or disagree with Tony Blair who said that "in certain clear circumstances, we [should] intervene, even though we are not directly threatened."?
Agree: 49%
Disagree: 45%
Don't know: 6%
13) Should Britain use military force...
Only when authorised by the UN: 46%
When in Britain's interests even without UN: 48%
Don't know: 6%
14) Europe or USA?
In the future when military intervention is being considered, should Tony Blair side more closely with the USA or with France and Germany?
USA: 46%
France/Germany: 34%
Don't know: 21%
15) 'Axis of evil'
George Bush described North Korea, Iran and Iraq as "an axis of evil". Do you believe the UK government could convince you to support military intervention against Iran and North Korea?
Could you support military action against Iran?
Yes: 26%
No: 66%
Don't know: 8%
Against North Korea?
Yes: 24%
No: 67%
Don't know: 8%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And I suppose the loyalists* that fled north during the American revolution were deciding to move on a fancy whim. Sympathizers to the new American movement were harrassing the loyalists just as harshly as any insurgent attacking* civilian targets that don't agree with their agenda. Conflicts in a cival type war setting are never pretty and there is no boundry with good & bad there
*They were civilians by the way
*Except there were no bombs back then, just native allies and muskets
And of course American History doesn't end there, I know I've posted this before but it does seem to fit with the topic.
Many groups of natives were fighting amongst one another, during the conflict with western expansion. Of couse both sides were being played upon by those governing the states. They had their native allies working on their behalf, and look what it got them all in the end. :lol: Perhaps the Iraqis are thinking the same thing will happen to them, whether they work with or against the americans.
Nothing's Ever easy.
To Blackleaf, your post shows how silent majorities are ignored in the mainstream press and misunderstood by the liberal left.
But, a big caveat, especially on Iraq: There may be a grand majority of moderates who want to go on with their lives, but it will be the violent minorities willing to risk life and limb to gain the power.
By definition, the moderate majority does not risk life and limb.
And joe canadian? Good post on widening our view on what insurgents are. And how they've been treated.
But as we live in our comfortable homes and comfortable lives, we move further away in our understanding of primitive forces in nature.
We don't want to give up the conveniences to hike up a trail and camp on a cold mountain, and feel these primitive forces and remind ourselves once again the inhuman aspect of the physics of this universe.
But, a big caveat, especially on Iraq: There may be a grand majority of moderates who want to go on with their lives, but it will be the violent minorities willing to risk life and limb to gain the power.
By definition, the moderate majority does not risk life and limb.
And joe canadian? Good post on widening our view on what insurgents are. And how they've been treated.
But as we live in our comfortable homes and comfortable lives, we move further away in our understanding of primitive forces in nature.
We don't want to give up the conveniences to hike up a trail and camp on a cold mountain, and feel these primitive forces and remind ourselves once again the inhuman aspect of the physics of this universe.
Re: RE: INVASION & OCCUPATION stop calling it a war!
48% is not a majority.
Well French are not involved in this occupation.
48% is not a majority.
Yet again 46% is not a majority.
So 63% don't think/unsure it was legal?
71% don't think/unsure if he told truth.
those 52% could already dislike him.
No surprise there.
Of course they will say their own troops. duh. Yet again France is not involved.
Wise people.
Seems to contridict next question.
Seems to contridict previous question.
Smart people.
Smart people.
Bullshit. Misleading. Just spin and I can spin those numbers any way I like as well.
48% is not a majority.
Well French are not involved in this occupation.
48% is not a majority.
Yet again 46% is not a majority.
So 63% don't think/unsure it was legal?
71% don't think/unsure if he told truth.
those 52% could already dislike him.
No surprise there.
Of course they will say their own troops. duh. Yet again France is not involved.
Wise people.
Seems to contridict next question.
Seems to contridict previous question.
Smart people.
Smart people.
Bullshit. Misleading. Just spin and I can spin those numbers any way I like as well.
That ephemeral poll simply indicates a larger plurality, not a majority.
Blackleaf correctly used the word "most" but this just means the larger plurality, which seems to decide most elections these days.
More a matter of correct semantics, than spin.
And the mainstream press and the liberal left can't make this compute.
Blackleaf correctly used the word "most" but this just means the larger plurality, which seems to decide most elections these days.
More a matter of correct semantics, than spin.
And the mainstream press and the liberal left can't make this compute.
http://cgi.wn.com/?action=display&article=40611335&template=worldnews/index.txt&index=recent
the hypocracy/lies are overwhelming. ......but alas transparent...
IF the US had any respect before the Iraq INVASION of choice....it is highly doubtful it has any now. It may have nations that still go along with it......(out of fear or whatever).....but respect??? No way.
but that shouldn't be a concern for them..as they fill in the gaps with arrogant self congratulations at every opportunity.. :roll:
the hypocracy/lies are overwhelming. ......but alas transparent...
IF the US had any respect before the Iraq INVASION of choice....it is highly doubtful it has any now. It may have nations that still go along with it......(out of fear or whatever).....but respect??? No way.
but that shouldn't be a concern for them..as they fill in the gaps with arrogant self congratulations at every opportunity.. :roll:
