Majority want bombing pause

Guardian Unlimited ^ | October 30, 2001 | Alan Travis

[nimc]

· Exclusive poll shows support for war cooling

· 54% say halt attacks and allow aid convoys into Afghanistan

British public support for the war against the Taliban has dropped by 12 points in the past fortnight and a majority now believe there should be a pause in the bombing to allow aid convoys into Afghanistan.

The sharp drop in support revealed by today's Guardian/ICM poll confirms Tony Blair's fears that the reality of modern warfare and reports of mounting civilian casualties have already led to a wobble in British support.

It provides clear evidence that there has been a significant change in the mood of the country towards the war and explains why ministers have spent the last weekend trying to shore up public opinion and why the prime minister is to appeal to the nation to "keep its nerve" in a major speech today.

Although the prime minister will take comfort from the fact that nearly two-thirds say they approve of military action, the prime minister will be alarmed by details of the survey, which show that support among women has slumped by 17 points from 68% to 51%. Only a bare majority of women now approve of military action against the Taliban.

It is a similar picture among older voters, with support among the over 65s dropping from 71% to just 54% in the past fortnight. The slide in support for military action is least marked amongst men, where backing for the war has fallen by only six points from 80% to 74%, and among the young, down from 73% to 64%.

But it should be noted that while positive support for the war has cooled somewhat, this has not necessarily translated into anti-war feeling.

Those opposed to military action have risen by only four points in the last fortnight from 16% to 20%. The largest growth has been among humanitarian sceptics, with don't knows rising by eight points to 18%.

This is shown most clearly by the clear majority who agree with the statement that there should be a pause in the bombing campaign against the Taliban to allow aid convoys to go into Afghanistan.

A majority of 54% believe this should happen, with 29% saying that the bombing campaign should continue without pause.

When viewed against the 62% support for military action, this suggests that the clear motive behind those who back the calls for a pause in the bombing is humanitarian rather than outright anti-war reasons.

Among women there is overwhelming support for a pause (59% to 19%) but opinion among men is closer, with 49% in favour of a pause and 40% opposed.

Further evidence that it is a humanitarian inspired wobble in public opinion rather than outright opposition to the war is shown by the results to the question on attitudes towards sending British troops into Afghanistan to take part in the fighting on the ground. Some 57% backed the decision announced on Friday for a small force of British commandos to be sent to Afghanistan.

Some 29% disapproved of this decision, showing that there is only a small gap in British public opinion between attitudes to the bombing campaign and to use of British troops on the grounds.

A final question about public confidence in the government's ability to deal with a major outbreak of anthrax, smallpox or other public health threat, produced mixed results. A substantial minority, 44%, replied they were either not very confident (29%) or not at all confident (15%) that the government could cope.

A bare majority, 51%, said they were either very confident (12%) or fairly confident (39%) that the authorities could deal with it effectively.

· ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,000 adults aged over 18 by telephone between October 26 and 28. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults.

[nimc]

I'd bet that the polling numbers would change fast if…

[BritBulldog]

Well it is the Guardian. What else would anyone expect from their readers.

[jerod]

The Guardian is the biggest piece of liberal trash on that side of the pond. They'd make Dan Rather look like a conservative.

[Lent]

The Guardian is a pro-Arab Islamic, pro-"palestinian" piece of trash rag.

[Britton J Wingfield]

I support pausing the bombing long enough to let a few convoys of Pakistani fanatics into afghanistan. then it's "Highway of Death," redux.

[Dan from Michigan]

Maybe the Guardian would change their mind if their offices got hit as well. I hope to God that England avoids the targets, but I believe your country isn't hated almost as much as ours and Israel in that world.

Not to mention that your country's immigration policy has problems like ours.

[Rick.Donaldson]

No one asked me... I didn't get to be part of the poll. Count me in... on CONTINUING TO BOMB THEM

[AMERIKA]

I have quit reading anything that comes out of the U.K.

[nimc]

Here, even my most liberal family members, and acquaintances are ready to join the Marines. They want blood, NOW!

[AgThorn]

1 - this poll is BS
2 - this source is worse than BS
3 - since when do you run a war based on weekly polls?

[Paleo Conservative]

I would support diverting a sortie to hit the Guardian's offices.

[nimc]

- since when do you run a war based on weekly polls?

Not since this past January.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

KEEP BOMBING!!!

[Curly007]

How many times do I need to tell you not to exagerate?

[Curly007]

Mmmmm, thank the Clinton era for that!

[Free_at_last_-2001]

I’ve been in London this week and there has been a push by the liberal media to attack the War on Terror - the Guardian is a Liberal Piece of trash and as so realise that a War on Terror is a war against them and what they stand for.

I would not take this seriously this does not represent the feeling here nor does it represent the feelings of their readers as I see them on the train having problems with it (even for Guardian readers - quelle surprise!).

Liberals are scared - this survey is bogus - but the press is still powerful and can slowly chip away at the truth.

this survey is a sham but a visible campaign has been started this week by the liberal press in the UK.

[Gunner9mm]

To the editors and pollsters of the Guardian:

The World Trade used to stand in New York. The Pentagon is in Virginia, just outside our nation's capital. Both of these places are in the United States.

You are either with us, or you are with the terrorists. Tell that to your 54%.

Sincerely