USA: Public opinion on the U.S. Led war against Iraq shows that Americans continue to strongly support the war

Record ID: 735446

  • Title: USA: Public opinion on the U.S. Led war against Iraq shows that Americans continue to strongly support the war
  • Date: 3rd April 2003
  • Summary: (W8) WASHINGTON, DC. (APRIL 3, 2003) (REUTERS) VARIOUS: PEOPLE WALKING UNDER CHERRY BLOSSOMS. (2 SHOTS) LAS: CHERRY BLOSSOMS. (2 SHOTS) WS: PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOS AND WALKING UNDER THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS. (2 SHOTS) SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) RORY LOPEZ, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS "I was one of those people out protesting in Chicago and in San Francisio against the war. I have been against the war and been against sending the troops in. The troops are there, so my opinion now is that I am for the troops that are there, and I am for trying to accomplish what we set out to do. And once we accomplish that we can get back to arguing about whether it was right or unjust or whether it was an okay thing to do." CU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) JANICE BURCH SAYING "I have never been for a war but I have been for our president, I have been a Bush supporter since the very start and I trust his decisions. I know he knows things we don't know. And I have supported him since the very start on his decision. But again war is never a good thing and we are never for it, but I am supporting our troops one hundred percent and have been since the start." CU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) PETER SCHWARTZ, WASHINGTON, D.C., SAYING "I was for it when it was started and I'm even more for it now. It looks like we are making good progress, as opposed to the prognostications of the news media and now things are looking like they are going to be able get to Baghdad with less loss of life than it looked like in the middle." CU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. DECOSTA-WILLIS, WASHINGTON D.C., SAYING "My feelings have probably intensified as the war has increased and I see that devastation that's being done on the innocent people of Iraq. I too am not for Saddam Hussein but I just feel a lot of empathy for the people there and innocent women and children who are being killed indiscriminately. We have no right to be there, we have not been attacked we have no reason for war. I feel it is all about the oil and gaining worldwide domination." WS: CHERRY BLOSSOMS/ZOOM IN: TO AMERICAN FLAG. VARIOUS: OF PEOPLE AND CHERRY BLOSSOMS. (2 SHOTS) GV/ZOOM IN: JEFFERSON MEMORIAL. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) PETER SCHWARTZ, WASHINGTON D.C., SAYING "The ones that hated us before, hate us now, the ones that loved us before, still love us." CU/CRANE DOWN/GV: CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND THE TIDAL BASIN.
  • Embargoed: 18th April 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA65DSABYC1DAM00V16WS6H660A
  • Story Text: As the US-led war on Iraq enters its third week, public opinion polls show Americans continue to strongly support the war, even if they initially opposed military action without U.N. approval.
    It's springtime in Washington, and as the Iraq war moves into its third week, President Bush has found that depite windespread opposition overseas, Americans are largely behind him.
    The latest Pew Research Center poll, released on Thursday (April 3), shows 70 per cent of Americans support the war. The Pew poll shows that Americans are supporting their president, even though they increasingly fear the use of chemical and biological weapons, high troop casualties, a long commitment to the region, and the possibility of a wider Middle East conflict.
    Another poll, released by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) earlier this week, showed 75 per cent support for the war, with 21 per cent saying that even though they did not agree with the decision to go to war, they support the President now.
    In Washington DC, many walking along the Tidal Basin admiring the Cherry Blossoms had strong views about the war.
    Rory Lopez of Chicago, Illinois said he was strongly against the war.
    "I was one of those people out protesting in Chicago and in San Francisio against the war," he told Reuters. "I have been against the war and been against sending the troops in.
    The troops are there, so my opinion now is that I am for the troops that are there, and I am for trying to accomplish what we set out to do. And once we accomplish that we can get back to arguing about whether it was right or unjust or whether it was an okay thing to do."
    Washingtonian Janice Burch said Bush was doing a great job and she is behind the war.
    "I have never been for a war but I have been for our President. I have been a Bush supporter since the very start and I trust his decisions. I know he knows things we don't know. And I have supported him since the very start on his decision. But again war is never a good thing and we are never for it, but I am supporting our troops 100 percent and have been since the start," said Burch.
    Peter Schwartz, of Washington, D.C said he supported the war.
    "I was for it when it was started and I'm even more for it now. It looks like we are making good progress, as opposed to the prognostications of the news media and now things are looking like they are going to be able to get to Baghdad with less loss of life than it looked like in the middle,"
    Schwartz said.
    But another Washingtonian, Dr. Decosta-Willis said the war was a huge mistake.
    "My feelings have probably intensified as the war has increased and I see that devastation thats being done on the innocent people of Iraq. I too am not for Saddam Hussein but I just feel a lot of empathy for the people there and innocent women and children who are being killed indiscriminately. We have no right to be there, we have not been attacked we have no reason for war. I feel it is all about the oil and gaining worldwide domination,"Decosta-Willis said.
    While President Bush continues to receive support from the majority of Americans, there are rising fears in the country about the consequences of the war.
    For example, 51% think that the risk of terrorist attacks will be higher because of the military action. Also, the majority believe that the war in Iraq will increase the likelihood that North Korea will make nuclear weapons.
    GULF WAR 3
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