Poll: A Split On Confronting Terrorism

An overwhelming majority of Americans believe Islamic fundamentalism is a real and growing threat — and that terror groups like al Qaeda ultimately want to destroy the United States — but they are divided on what to do about it, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll.

Seventy-six percent of respondents say Islamic fundamentalism is a real and growing threat to the United States. Forty-seven percent think the U.S. will be safer if it confronts terrorist organizations and states in the Middle East, as President Bush advocates, while 45 percent say the country will be safer if it stays out of other nations' affairs in the region.

THE U.S. WILL BE SAFER FROM TERRORISM IF IT…

Confronts terror groups and states in the Mideast
47%
Stays out of other countries' affairs in Mideast
45%

While Mr. Bush and the Senate seek a compromise on new rules governing the treatment of terror suspects, most Americans, 63 percent, think the United States should generally follow international agreements on handling prisoners of war.

Most Americans, 56 percent, say torture is never justified, while 35 percent say sometimes it is.

IN TREATMENT OF POWs, THE U.S. SHOULD…

Follow international agreements
63%
Do what it thinks right, regardless of what other nations think
32%

Mr. Bush has had some success in convincing the public that the Iraq war is part of the broader war on terror. Forty-nine percent of Americans now feel the two conflicts are connected, up five points from a month ago.

But the president has failed to convince the nation on other matters. Fewer than half those polled think withdrawing from Iraq would increase the terror threat to the United States, as Mr. Bush and members of his administration have asserted, or that withdrawing now would mean admitting defeat.

The president has gained some ground on his handling of the war, with 36 now giving him a positive rating, up six points from last month and the highest rating he has received since January.

But overall assessments of the Iraq war are largely unchanged from last month, with six in 10 respondents continuing to say the war is going badly.

The president's overall approval rating remains steady at 37 percent, about where it's been all year.

BUSH'S JOB APPROVAL

Approve
37%
Disapprove
56%

Mr. Bush's numbers for his handling of the campaign against terrorism is unchanged — even in the wake of the five-year anniversary commemorations of the Sept. 11 attacks — though the issue remains his strongest, with 54 percent approval.

A separate CBS News/New York Times poll finds Congress gets even lower ratings than the president. Just 25 percent approve of the job Congress is doing, while 61 percent disapprove.

CONGRESS JOB APPROVAL

Approve
25%
Disapprove
61%

Americans even give their own representatives, who usually get positive ratings, the thumbs down. Just 42 percent of voters feel their own representative deserves re-election, while 47 percent say it's time for a change.

This disenchantment with Congress could bode well for the Democrats in their bid to regain control of the House.

Asked who they would support in the upcoming midterm elections, 50 percent of registered voters said they would support the Democratic candidate, while 35 percent would support the Republican.

For detailed information on how CBS News conducts public opinion surveys, click here.

This poll was conducted among a nationwide random sample of 1131 adults, interviewed by telephone September 15-19, 2006. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. Error for subgroups may be higher.

[noni38]

PS to my earlier comment. At the rate things are going in the US, the very lack of freedom we decry in the Middle East could become law here. We can only hope that our country does not in time become a theocracy. Don't kid yourself; plenty of people would love to see that happen. And they are people in power!

[noni38]

Hey Rev, sounds like you finally saw the light; join the ex Rev's club! Just know that you will never get the last word against others whose opinions differ. It is tragic that over the centuries organized religion has caused much more trouble in so many ways than it has ever alleviated. Groups on all sides use it skillfully to pit people against one another. Granted we still have relative freedom of speech in the US, but if the federal government's lawsuit against the Pasadena church succeeds, that will be one more right that we can kiss goodbye. No, I do not want to live in the Middle East. I just wish that people would stop fighting over a non-issue, which is "which God is better"? Give me a break! How wonderful it would be if the human race could learn to live, and stop blaming others. This includes everyone.

[hopeseeker-2009]

This discussion of religion, geography and god given rights goes back thousands of years. It is a difficult problem that many generations of shall I venture to say wiser men have not been able to solve. This is not to say that Bush shouldn't be held accountable for disastrous calls of judgment but one should put some historical perspective on it all.

The Middle East is not a new phenomenon but neither is the mistrust of the United States. After all still the only country to through the Nuke down. What is it over 190,000(Hiroshima) millions through(slavery), under the premise of war or not, the accountability of one's actions is always in question.

We can all make our excuses for why we do the things we do but history will look at our actions and it is those future generations that will see right from wrong.

If we want liberty and justice to be victorious we should be wary of how this is achieved.

[ronniehm]

"If the religious right is to have their way, then the only difference between America and those Muslim nations will be the name of the religion dictating our laws." - Rev

They don't have their way. Why? Because the majority of christians in America won't allow it. The reason muslims don't take such a stand in Iraq is the same reason they don't take a stand in America, England, Turkey, France or wherever. They don't want to. Your argument that muslims in Iraq are incapable of fighting back does not apply one bit to the muslims living outside Iraq. Where are they? I'll give Iraqis a pass. Not the rest.

"It is sad to see one so devoted to the media spinoff of this country.' - Gendehlrani

I'm sorry I cause you sadness. You apparently think Iraqis were all flying kites and having potato sack races before we got there. Sorry, but they were pretty screwed up before we got there. That's how in spite of all the violence and fear we see today, the death rate has gone down since Saddam was removed. No, it's not Disneyland yet, but it sure as heII wasn't when Saddam was there. Just because the media ignored the violence and fear in Iraq until we showed up doesn't mean you should. How odd that your perception of violence in Iraq is so closely tied to the amount of media coverage it received. "It is sad to see one so devoted to the media spinoff of this country."

[gendehirani]

RonnieHM: It is sad to see one so devoted to the media spinoff of this country. You mentioned that Muslims in Iraq are killing Muslims, what you fail to recognize is that Protestants are still killing Catholics, and they worship the same profit. Iraq is different than America, these people have lived there for many thousands of years and there are many different ethnicities. When a foreign force comes in and moves lines and rearranges people, places, and things this causes an uproar. The Kurds in the North have been trying to get their own land for quite awhile, the problem with that is they are also a part of Turkey and Iran. They are as of last week still bombing Istanbul, and they are causing a problem in most of Iraq as well, because they want their own state. Much of what you hear in the media is a generalization, and does not speak much about the facts of the matter, couple these things with the fact that the Iraqi's daily lives have been altered from a normal state to one of fear of death and destruction, and you would go a little crazy too. These are facts, as well are the facts that Iraqis have lost friends and family members, their national treasures, and their homeland is virtually unrecognizable. They did not invite or ask the United States to free them, and it is easy to make blanket comments of scorn and disdain when you don't know even half of the facts, and you are sitting in your comfortable house without the fear of being shot at the next checkpoint.

[leeann345]

Where is the outrage? Why, are Americans sitting still for this, while are rights are being taken away from us? If you feel this same way, PROTEST on OCT.5th......The world can't wait.com

[drgoodwin12]

It's interesting to note that ABC has conducted a poll which finds Bush approval rating at 44%,that the treatment of P.O.W.s (Alleged Terrorist)at 65%.The story which I just read less than 5 minutes ago on ABC dissapeared.My point was/is are the media trying to shape our opinions with these polls.All I can say now is get out and vote and oust the rebuplican party from power. If the Democrats do not succeed in changing the course in America for the better,then when the next election comes around vote for individuals not tied to any political party that represent your views.Currently neither truly do. Where are the Franklin Rooselvelt's and the Ike Eisenhower's who did represent the people.A little bit of history here,Ike was so fed up with the GOP controlled congress after his first term he went out and campaigned for democrats.That is true bipartisanship.

[rev-maureen]

RonnieHM, has it occurred to you that those living INSIDE these countries that either support terrorism or are being victimized by it are not able to speak out against it for fear of becoming it's next victim?

We Americans cannot imagine what it is like to live under such conditions. For now at least, we still have the freedom to criticize our government, or any group that oppresses others, whether it be in the name of religion, politics, or any other excuse.

Ask an Iraqi actually living in Iraq right now if they feel they have the freedom to speak out against the violence being perpetrated in their names by ALL sides of the civil war (and yes, it IS a civil war at this point). Most of them would likely be too afraid to answer you.

[rev-maureen]

Rev, I assume you understand that in most muslim countries, it's not just a religion -- it's the law. Those with brains enough to ignore such passages are executed. RonnieHM

Yes, I do. That is exactly why preserving the separation of church and state here in America is so important. If the religious right is to have their way, then the only difference between America and those Muslim nations will be the name of the religion dictating our laws.

Yes, I am a minister - however I do NOT support the idea that ANY religion should dictate the laws of the land, whether it be mine, yours, or someone else's. Let our government be free of ALL religious influence, as our forefathers intended.

[rev-maureen]

Here are a few more shining examples of how brutality and even more heinous acts are committed or encouraged by the Christian Bible...

"And thou shalt EAT THE FRUIT OF THINE OWN BODY, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD they God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straightness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:" (Deuteronomy 28:53)

"Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids." (Leviticus 25:44 , KJV)

Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." (Psalms 137:9, KJV)

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)

Cannibalism, the murder of innocent children, and an instruction to hate even one's own family and oneself. All these from that icon of love - the Christian god.

Do you see the point yet, SUMurtha? There is NO difference between the teachings of the Koran and the teachings of the Bible, if one is determined follow every word in it's most literal translation. That is what fundamentalists do, regardless of which book they are reading.