Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Assessment Of Iraqi Weapons Exaggerated, Say Americans

May 14, 2003

(CPOD) May 14, 2003 - As weapons of mass destruction remain elusive in Iraq, many Americans believe the Bush administration's pre-war assessment was exaggerated, according to a poll by CBS News and the New York Times. Almost half of all respondents believe their government overestimated the amount of banned weapons that would be found in Iraq.

Pre-war speeches by United States president George W. Bush mentioned specific chemical agents, such as mustard gas, sarin and VX nerve gas as banned substances allegedly secured by Iraq. State secretary Colin Powell stated to the United Nations (UN) Security Council in February that the Hussein regime possessed biological weapons. Post-war military investigations have not provided hard evidence to back these claims. National security advisor Condoleezza Rice will dispatch a new team of experts to Iraq this week.

Still, a majority of Americans believe toppling Saddam Hussein was worthwhile, even if no weapons of mass destruction are ever found.

Polling Data

How would you rate the assessment of the Bush administration regarding banned weapons in Iraq?

Banned weapons were overestimated

49%

Banned weapons estimates were accurate

29%

Banned weapons estimates were low

12%


Is the war against Saddam Hussein's regime worthwhile even if no weapons of mass destruction are found in Iraq?

Yes

56%

No

38%


Source: CBS News / The New York Times
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 910 American adults, conducted from May 9 to May 12, 2003. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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