Poll Shows Pessimism on Powell Trip

AP ^ | April 12, 2002, 7:07 PM EDT | The Associated Press

[Jean S]

Most Americans believe Secretary of State Colin Powell's trip to the Mideast will fail to bring about peace, according to a Time-CNN poll released Friday.

The poll, which surveyed about 1,000 Americans, showed 75 percent of adults thought Powell's trip was a good idea, but only 20 percent believed it would yield any major progress toward peace.

Americans are also losing patience with Israel's military offensive. Almost two-thirds of those surveyed said the United States should cut off or reduce economic support if Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon doesn't withdraw troops from Palestinian cities.

The poll was conducted on April 10 and had an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The poll also found:

* Sixty-five percent of those surveyed think President Bush is doing a good job of handling foreign policy, down from 80 percent in December 2001.

* Ten percent believe Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is trustworthy, 35 percent believe he's a warmonger and 62 percent say he is a terrorist.

* About 60 percent feel Arafat is an enemy of the United States.

[browardchad]

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed said the United States should cut off or reduce economic support if Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon doesn't withdraw troops from Palestinian cities.

62% say Arafat is a terrorist.
60% say he is "an enemy of the United States"
2/3 (66.7%) say we should cut off support if Israel doesn't withdraw troops.

National schizophenia, or pragmatism?

[browardchad]

Let me add another choice: lack of clear leadership on this issue?

[Diogenesis]

" Ten percent believe Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is trustworthy,
35 percent believe he's a warmonger and 62 percent say he is a terrorist.
About 60 percent feel Arafat is an enemy of the United States."

So why does the State Dept. love him, and honor the murderer
who cheered the 911 Atrocities?

[F.J. Mitchell]

Just another liberal poll, designed to either get the answer they want or warp the results. Everyone already knows that the overwhelming majority of us Americans are still sane enough to see that the Phalustineans are a problem that Israel must neutralize if it is to survive.

God Speed to our Israeli Allies.

[tomahawk]

The question was probably, "If Israel ignores the request by President Bush to withdraw their forces from the West Bank so as to give prospects for peace a chance, would you favor reducing aid to Israel". If I am allowed to phrase the question, I could get 95% of people to support their own death.