From: James Tait <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Socialist Labour Youth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: UK: 2 In 3 Support Air Strikes - Guardian [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- US terror attacks: Britain's response 2 in 3 back air strikes Special report: terrorism in the US Alan Travis, home affairs editor Tuesday September 18, 2001 The Guardian Two out of three British voters support military strikes against the terrorist organisations responsible for last week's attacks, but there is less stomach for an all-out war against terrorism, the results of a Guardian/ICM poll show. The survey shows levels of support for military retaliation in Britain below those recorded in the past week in the United States. Tony Blair and George Bush both receive strong endorsements from British voters for the way they have acted in the past week. The poll shows that 66% of British voters back the use of military force against the terrorist organisations responsible for the attacks and 63% are prepared to see British troops, ships and planes take part in such military strikes. Only 14% reject a military response. Almost as many, 59%, say countries that harbour or assist terrorists should also be the target of military strikes by the United States and Nato. Only 21% oppose such action. Labour and Conservative voters are equally prepared, with 68% in favour, to see military attacks on countries, such as Afghanistan, that harbour or assist known terrorists. The ICM survey shows that there is greater support among Labour voters (76%) than Conservatives (69%) for military strikes against terrorist organisations. Liberal Democrat voters are more sceptical, with 59% backing military strikes and 22% opposed. The young are more belligerent than the old, with 74% of 25-to-34-year-olds supporting military action compared with 60% of over-65s. Perhaps the biggest split in British public opinion is between men and women: 74% of men support military strikes, compared with 58% of women. But when voters were asked if they would continue to support military action against countries that harbour terrorists "if it meant that the United States and Nato (including the UK) got into a war" then some attitudes begin to change: 49% support hitting back if it means getting into a prolonged war. Again there is a gender split with a majority of men, 55%, prepared to contemplate war but only 43% believing it is necessary; 32% of women say they oppose taking military action if it means war. There is very strong support for Tony Blair's role in the crisis: 76% believe he has so far got the relationship with the US about right during the past week. Only 14% believe he has been too close to the Americans and 3% believe he has not been close enough. . ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,007 adults by telephone between September 14 and September 16 2001. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results weighted to the profile of all adults. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/attacks/story/0,1320,553749,00.html _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________ --------
