Two-thirds in U.S. now fear escalation into wider war

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After the "war fever" so prevalent before the war began, is this shift in public opinion good news?

Hyperlink: http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,568333,00.html

Two-thirds in US fear escalation into wider war

The Guardian, Friday October 12, 2001

Two-thirds of Americans are concerned that the US campaign could escalate into a wider war pitting America and its allies against the Arab and Muslim world, according to a poll released yesterday. The ABC News poll also found fewer than half of Americans have a positive view of Islam, while about two-thirds said they lacked a good understanding of that religion.

Some 1,009 American adults were questioned by telephone on Monday and Tuesday for the poll. Respondents were asked whether they were worried that the conflict could turn into a broader war between the US and its allies against Arabs and Muslims. Sixty-six percent said they were worried (25% greatly worried and 41% somewhat worried), while 33% said they were not worried and 1% had no opinion.

In addition, 69% of respondents said the US was doing all it could to prevent an escalation, while 28% said it should do more, and the rest had no opinion.

Asked their opinion of Islam, 47% said they had a favourable view, 39% were unfavourable and 13% had no opinion. Sixty-five percent said they did not have a good, basic understanding of the teachings and beliefs of Islam, while 34% said they did. Most respondents - 55% - said they believed that most Arabs and Muslims around the world had a negative view of the US, while 36% said they felt there was a positive view.

Copyright © Guardian Newspapers Ltd., United Kingdom, Fair Use for Educational and Research Purposes Only

-- Robert Riggs (rxr.999@worldnet.att.net), October 13, 2001


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