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Americans Refuse U.S. Troops in Mid-East War
- Very few adults in the United States think their country's military should become involved in the current Middle East conflict, according to a poll by SurveyUSA. 87 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. military should stay out of the war, up three points since mid-July.
On Jul. 12, Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two more in a cross-border attack. 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 401 civilians killed and at least 1,400 civilians injured. According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), 50 Israelis—19 civilians and 31 soldiers—have died during the conflict.
Yesterday, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed his country's participation in the process, saying, "What you're watching is American policy aiming to address the root cause and aiming to strengthen Lebanese democracy, so that we can have peace. I view this as a clash of forms of government. I see people who can't stand the thought of democracy taking hold in the Middle East. And as democracy begins to advance, they use terrorist tactics to stop it." 56 per cent of respondents believe U.S. diplomats should not attempt to negotiate a ceasefire.
Polling Data
Should the United States military get involved? Or should the United States military stay out of it?
Jul. 25 | Jul. 16 | Jul. 13 | |
Get involved | 9% | 12% | 11% |
Stay out of it | 87% | 84% | 84% |
Not sure | 5% | 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. 25 | Jul. 16 | Jul. 13 | |
Stay out of it | 56% | 52% | 55% |
Attempt to negotiate a ceasefire | 40% | 44% | 41% |
Not sure | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Source: SurveyUSA
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,200 American adults, conducted on Jul. 25, 2006. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.