TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2003
Most Indians oppose war on Iraq: Survey
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
NEW DELHI: A majority of Indians are opposed to a military attack on Iraq under any circumstances, a survey conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres Mode has concluded.
The opinion poll, part of a larger international survey for Gallup, also found that nearly half the Indians contacted believe US foreign policy has "a negative effect" on the country.
The survey was conducted across the four metros among 1,048 randomly selected respondents.
Asked whether they were in favour of military action against Iraq, 59 per cent said "under no circumstances" and 29.1 per cent said "only if sanctioned by the United Nations".
Only 7.7 per cent of the respondents were in favour of a unilateral attack by the US and its allies.
In the event of the US going ahead with a war on Iraq, 62.4 per cent of Indians surveyed said India should not support the military action. The survey also found that most Indians are pessimistic about the prospects for peace: 65.5 per cent of those surveyed thought it was likely that military action would be launched against Iraq "in the next few months".
Opinions in India seem to be generally in line with those in other parts of the world. The Gallup poll has found that in many countries, more than 50 per cent of respondents oppose war even if there is UN backing: Pakistan 60 per cent, Argentina 83 per cent, South Africa 63 per cent, Russia 59 per cent and France 60 per cent. Twenty-one per cent of US citizens are also opposed to war under any circumstances.
If one takes into account those who would back war only if the UN approves it, the worldwide opposition to a unilateral US attack seems to be running at well over 80 per cent.
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