CBS NEWS POLL THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND IRAN May 27-28, 2003 q14 Do you consider Saudi Arabia an ally of the United States, friendly but not an ally, unfriendly, or an enemy of the United States? Total Rep Dem Ind Oct01d Ally 10 14 9 9 10 Friendly but not an ally 44 43 51 39 49 Unfriendly 19 16 17 23 14 Enemy 15 17 14 13 15 DK/NA 12 10 9 16 12 q15 Do you consider France an ally of the United States, friendly but not an ally, unfriendly, or an enemy of the United States? Feb03c Ally 23 21 28 19 28 Friendly but not an ally 39 38 37 43 41 Unfriendly 25 28 25 23 20 Enemy 6 9 4 6 5 DK/NA 7 4 6 9 6 q16 Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling the situation between Israel and the Palestinians? Jul02b Approve 55 71 47 49 53 Disapprove 24 14 28 29 19 DK/NA 21 15 25 22 18 q17 Do you think establishing peace in the Middle East is something that the American government can do something about, or not? HALF SAMPLE A Aug02a Can do something about 46 56 41 42 45 Cannot do something about 48 40 54 50 49 DK/NA 6 4 5 8 6 q18 Do you think establishing peace in the Middle East is something that George W. Bush can do something about, or not? HALF SAMPLE B Can do something about 48 58 39 48 Cannot do something about 49 39 58 48 DK/NA 3 3 3 4
CBS NEWS POLL: THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND IRAN May 27-28, 2003 2 q25 Which comes closer to your opinion on what the United States policy should be after the war with Iraq? 1. The United States should not attack another country unless that country has attacked the United States first. OR 2. The United States should be able to attack any country it thinks might attack the United States. Total Rep Dem Ind Apr03b U.S. should not attack 53 37 66 53 50 U.S. should attack 39 53 26 40 42 DK/NA 8 10 8 7 8 q26 When it comes to how people around the world feel about the United States today, is it more important for people around the world to like the U.S. for its policies, or is it more important for them to respect the U.S. for its military power? Like policies 48 34 58 50 55 Respect military power 38 50 31 35 30 Both (Vol.) 7 9 6 5 8 DK/NA 7 7 5 10 7 q30 Do you think removing Saddam Hussein from power was worth the loss of American life and other costs of attacking Iraq, or not? Worth it 65 82 52 64 62 Not worth it 28 13 38 30 31 DK/NA 7 5 10 6 7 q31 Thinking back now to the weeks before the war with Iraq, do you think the Bush Administration overestimated the number of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, underestimated the number of weapons of mass destruction, or accurately estimated the number of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? HALF SAMPLE C May03a Overestimated 39 29 51 38 49 Under estimated 13 13 11 16 12 Accurately estimated 35 45 29 32 29 DK/NA 13 13 9 14 10 q32 Do you think the Bush Administration exaggerated the number of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in order to build more support for the war, or not? Those Who Said Overestimated in Q31 Exaggerated 68 66 Not 27 27 DK/NA 5 6
CBS NEWS POLL: THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND IRAN May 27-28, 2003 3 q33 Thinking back now to the weeks before the war with Iraq, do you think U.S. intelligence agencies, such as the CIA, overestimated the number of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, underestimated the number of weapons of mass destruction, or accurately estimated the number of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? HALF SAMPLE D Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % Overestimated 52 40 62 49 Under estimated 16 15 17 14 Accurately estimated 24 35 14 28 DK/NA 8 10 7 9 q34 Do you think the U.S. intelligence agencies exaggerated the number of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in order to build more support for the war, or not? Those Who Said Overestimated in Q33 Exaggerated 75 Not 20 DK/NA 5 q35 How much confidence do you have in the ability of the U.S. government to capture or kill Saddam Hussein - would you say you are very confident he will be caught, somewhat confident, not too confident or not at all confident? Very confident 19 21 17 19 Somewhat confident 41 53 32 39 Not too confident 24 16 30 25 Not at all confident 13 6 18 15 Already dead (vol.) 2 3 1 1 DK/NA 1 1 2 1 q36 How much confidence do you have that the United States will eventually find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Would you say you are very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or not at all confident? Very confident 29 37 23 28 Somewhat confident 39 44 35 40 Not too confident 18 13 19 20 Not at all confident 12 3 21 10 Already found (vol.) 0 1 0 0 DK/NA 2 2 2 2 q37 From what you have heard or read, do you think Saddam Hussein is probably alive or probably dead? Probably alive 77 70 81 78 59 Probably dead 17 24 13 15 28 DK/NA 6 6 6 7 13
CBS NEWS POLL: THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND IRAN May 27-28, 2003 4 q38 Does it matter if Saddam Hussein is alive or dead? Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % Yes, it matters 56 56 56 55 No, it doesn't matter 42 41 42 42 DK/NA 2 3 2 3 q39 How would you say things are going for the U.S. in its efforts to bring stability and order to Iraq? Would you say things are going very well, somewhat well, somewhat badly, or very badly? Very well 11 17 8 8 Somewhat well 61 66 58 61 Somewhat badly 19 13 23 19 Very badly 5 2 8 6 DK/NA 4 2 3 6 q40 Which do you think the Iraqi people are feeling right now - grateful to the United States for getting rid of Saddam Hussein, or resentful of the United States for being in Iraq right now? Grateful 46 59 40 41 53 Resentful 31 25 38 28 26 Both (vol.) 20 15 17 26 14 DK/NA 3 1 5 5 7 q41 Which of these would you say is the United States' MOST important accomplishment in Iraq so far: 1) Liberating the Iraqi people, or 2) stopping Iraq from developing weapons of mass destruction, or 3) showing the world that the U.S. will take pre-emptive military action when it thinks it is necessary. Liberated people 40 38 37 47 Stopped weapons 18 25 16 16 Showed pre-emptive action 32 27 39 29 All (Vol.) 5 8 3 4 None (Vol.) 1 1 2 2 DK/NA 4 1 3 2 q42 Looking ahead, which of these would you say SHOULD be the United States' most important priority in Iraq NOW: 1) making sure Iraq has stability, or 2) finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; or 3) finding Saddam Hussein and other members of his family. Stability 59 60 54 64 Finding weapons 15 18 15 12 Finding Saddam Hussein 16 15 23 11 All (Vol.) 5 5 3 6 Stability and Finding weapons 1 0 1 1 Finding weapons and Hussein 2 0 2 3 Stability and Finding Hussein 1 1 0 0 None (Vol.) 1 0 1 1 DK/NA 1 1 1 1
CBS NEWS POLL: THE MIDDLE EAST, IRAQ AND IRAN May 27-28, 2003 5 q43 How likely do you think it is that the success of the United States and its allies in the Iraq war will cause the U.S. to intervene militarily in Iran - very likely, somewhat likely, or not very likely? Total Rep Dem Ind Apr03b Very likely 15 14 14 17 17 Somewhat likely 54 54 61 49 33 Not very likely 25 29 19 28 42 DK/NA 6 3 6 6 8 q48 Which comes closer to your opinion - Iran is a threat to the United States that requires military action now, Iran is a threat that can be contained, or Iran is not a threat to the United States at all? Threat requiring action now 9 12 8 9 Threat that can be contained 66 67 67 65 Not a threat 18 12 22 18 DK/NA 7 9 3 8 UNWEIGHTED Total Respondents 758 WEIGHTED Total Republicans 231 220 Total Democrats 258 268 Total Independents 269 271 Half Sample A 380 381 Half Sample B 378 377 Half Sample C 385 393 Half Sample D 373 365