44% of Americans think Torturing American GIs is OK

[Nbadan]

I mean after all....how can they justify torture by their own government without concurrently justifying the torture of captured American troops who many countries think of as terraists?

New York - While 53 per cent of Americans joined respondents around the world in saying torture should be unequivocally abolished, a high percentage favoured an exception when dealing with terrorists, a US survey said Tuesday. The survey found 44 per cent of Americans favoured torture in the case of terrorists and 13 per cent said torture should be allowed in general, said a study by WorldPublicOpinion.org, which is associated with the University of Maryland's Programme on International Policy At udes.

"Support for making exceptions for torture in the case of terrorists has grown among Americans since 2006, from 36 per cent to 44 per cent, while the majority opposing the use of torture in all cases has fallen slightly, from 58 per cent down to 53 per cent," the survey said.

The survey was made public at UN headquarters in New York on the eve of the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

The government of President George W Bush has been strongly criticized for using torture against alleged terrorists detained, in some cases in secrecy, since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

But Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, said, "The idea that torture by governments is basically wrong is widely shared in all corners of the world. Even the scenario one hears of terrorists holding information that could save innocent lives is rejected as a justification for torture in most countries."

Earth Times

13 per cent said torture should be allowed in general

Anyone wanna guess which percentage WC belongs too?

[PEP]

You need to rewrite your caption there buddy.

Plus Americans captured arent tortured, their heads are cut off.

[Wild Cobra]

I don't believe it Dan, not as written.

My assumption is that people were asked about methods like water-boarding rather than torture.

Please show us the wording of the poll taken.

[Brutalis]

If the South had their way, .. well. Let's just say they'd attempt suicide often.

[Nbadan]

You need to rewrite your caption there buddy.

Plus Americans captured arent tortured, their heads are cut off.

So no captured American GIs have ever been released? No torture, no mistreatment?

[DarkReign]

Polls, the only real reliable source in any argument.

[boutons_]

"water-boarding rather than torture."

Typical conservative, can't squeeze in a talking-point lie quick enough. WC's our own Bagdad Bob (actually, there are several BBs here).

[ChumpDumper]

I don't know why some can't find on their own the questions and answer choices for the two poll issues dan brought up:

Q30-T1: Most countries have agreed to rules that prohibit torturing prisoners. Which position is closer to yours?

Terrorists pose such an extreme threat that governments should now be allowed to use some degree of torture if it may gain information that saves innocent lives. (US - 44%)

Clear rules against torture should be maintained because any use of torture is immoral and will weaken international human rights standards against torture (US - 53%)

Don't know/Not sure (US - 3%)


[Ask only those who answer “Terrorists pose such an extreme threat that governments should now be allowed to use some degree of torture if it may gain information that saves innocent lives” in Q30-T1]

Q30a-T1a: What about cases that have nothing to do with terrorism? Do you think that there should be rules prohibiting torture in all other cases or that in general governments should be allowed to use torture to try to get information?

Clear rules should be maintained (US - 53%)

Should be rules prohibiting torture in all other cases - Depends - Don't know (US - 31%)

Governments should be allowed to use torture (US - 13%)

Don't know/Not sure from previous question (US - 3%)

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pi...n08_quaire.pdf

[ChumpDumper]

I have to say the fact our result pretty much equals that of those polled in Egypt is food for thought.

[Wild Cobra]

Well, if you lok at the last page, it notes it was an internet survey for the USA. How much trust can be placed in that?

[ChumpDumper]

Depends on how they make it.

In the United States, the poll was an online survey drawn from a nationally representative sample of the Knowledge Networks online panel. This panel is probabilistically-based, selected from the population of US telephone households and subsequently provided with an Internet connection if needed. Items in the US survey were split sampled so that each item was answered by at least 940 respondents.

You can certainly ask them about their methodology.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I mean after all....how can they justify torture by their own government without concurrently justifying the torture of captured American troops who many countries think of as terraists?

So you're calling our troops terrorists? Well, that is typical for you. The sad thing is our troops are fighting and getting killed in the name of preserving the freedom for you to call them things like terrorists.

You really are a piece of .

[boutons_]

"in the name of preserving the freedom"



dubya has abused the US military as corporate goons to bust into and dominate the Iraqi oil fields.

Nothing to do with anybody's freedom, democracy, security, threats, terrorists, WMD, ad nauseam with your bull "justifications".

Marines, protected by "rules of engagement", slaughtered 17 men, women, children in Haditha, all Marines acquitted. aka, "winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis".

You are really a piece of , and less twerp of one.