Does Not Believe Evidence on Iraqi WMD, Al Qaeda Links, Human Rights, Met Proper Standards for Going to War
Believes Bush Was Determined to Go to War Irrespective of Evidence
No Clear Consensus For or Against Decision to Go To War
Support for Iraq Reconstruction Undaunted
For Release: Nov. 13, 2003, 12:15 pm Contact: Steven Kull (202) 232-7500
College Park, MD: According to a new PIPA-Knowledge Networks poll, a majority of Americans (55%) believe that the Bush administration went to war on the basis of incorrect assumptions. An overwhelming 87% said that, before the war, the Bush administration portrayed Iraq as an imminent threat, while a majority (58%) believes that the administration did not have evidence for this and only 42% believe that it was the case. A majority believes that the US went to war precipitously, with 61% saying that the US should have taken more time to find out if Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and 59% saying it should have taken more time to build international support. A majority of Americans believe that the evidence that the US had on Iraq did not meet the proper international standards for going to war without UN approval. While most believe that countries have the right to go to war if they have evidence they are in imminent danger of being attacked with WMD, only a minority also believes that the US had such evidence (32%) or, given what is known now, that Iraq in fact posed such a threat (35%). A majority (53%) believes the US had evidence that Iraq was acquiring WMD that could be used against it at some point in the future, but only 31% said such evidence legitimates going to war.
Full Press release at: <http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Iraq/Nov_13_03_iraq_press.pdf>
Full report at: <http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Iraq/Nov_13_03_iraq_report.pdf>
Questionnaire at: <http://www.pipa.org/OnlineReports/Iraq/Nov_13_03_iraq_qnnaire.pdf>