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Americans Reject Involvement in Middle East War
- Many adults in the United States believe their country's armed forces should play no role in the current Middle East conflict, according to a poll by SurveyUSA. 84 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. military should stay out of the war.
On Jul. 12, Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two more in a cross-border attack. Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert called the incident an "act of war" and vowed a "very painful and far-reaching response."
The Israeli armed forces launched air strikes inside Lebanese territory to fight Hezbollah, targeting the country's infrastructure and its airport. Hezbollah has retaliated by firing rockets into several Israeli towns. The Lebanese Internal Security Forces have reported 216 civilians killed and 524 civilians injured. According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), 29 Israelis—15 civilians and 14 soldiers—have died during the conflict.
On Jul. 18, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the situation, saying, "This crisis started when Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers. They were unprovoked and they then took hostages. Imagine how the United States would react if somebody provoked us with that kind of action. And secondly, (they) started firing rockets. And it's this provocation of Hezbollah that has created this crisis, and that's the root cause of the problem." 52 per cent of respondents believe U.S. diplomats should not attempt to negotiate a ceasefire.
Hezbollah—or Party of God—was founded in 1982. The military and political organization was originally assembled to fight Israel in the southern area of Lebanon. Hezbollah has been implicated in several terrorist attacks, including the 1983 truck bombing that killed 241 American soldiers in Beirut.
Polling Data
Should the United States military get involved? Or should the United States military stay out of it?
Jul. 16 | Jul. 13 | |
Get involved | 12% | 11% |
Stay out of it | 84% | 84% |
Not sure | 4% | 5% |
Should United States diplomats attempt to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and its neighbours? Or should the United States stay out of it?
Jul. 16 | Jul. 13 | |
Stay out of it | 52% | 55% |
Attempt to negotiate a ceasefire | 44% | 41% |
Not sure | 4% | 4% |
Source: SurveyUSA
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,200 American adults, conducted on Jul. 16, 2006. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.