In 32 of 35 Countries People Prefer Non-Military Approach

by Paul Rosenberg--Analysis Of Gallup Data Tuesday, Sep. 25, 2001 at 6:21 PM
rad@gte.net

A Gallup International poll finds that substantial majorities in 32 out of 35 countries favor a criminal justice response to the terrorist attack on America, rather than military action. Opposition to attacking civilians is even stronger. However, when asked if their country should join in US military action, supporters outnumber opponents in 14 countries. This forced-choice approach still left miliatry supporters outnumbered in 19 countries.

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World's People Say "No" To War

      A simultaneous international poll conducted by Gallup International provides a surprising picture of the world's people in substantial agreement with one another, while world leaders are distinctly out-of-step with a more militaristic attitude. Concerns about the economic future and the impact of US foreign policy were also investigated.

      In the US corporate media, virtually all discussion of responding to the terrorist attacks of September 11 is phrased in military terms. However, there's another alternative: responding to it as what it actually is, a crime against humanity. Taking the approach of international law has barely been mentioned in the corporate media, yet 30% of Americans support this option, compared to 54% who support a military response (with 16% undecided), according to a Gallup poll conducted last week.

      It seems quite likely that a majority of Americans would support the international law approach, if only they heard it talked about seriously, had it explained, and heard its pro's and con's contrasted with those of a military response. As it is, the US is one of only 3 countries out of 35 surveyed by Gallup International in which more people favor a military approach. The other two, Israel and India, both have experienced decades of conflict with Islamic neighbors and are far more militaristic in their response.

      Elsewhere, landslide majorities favor a non-military approach. Support for a non-military approach ranges from 67% to 88% among NATO/Western European nations, from 64% to 83% among Eastern European nations, and from 83% to 94% in Latin America.

      This heald true even in countries with the highest levels of support for military action. In Western Europe, France and the Netherlands show the strongest support for a military approach, but this position is outnumbered by 2-to-1. In Eastern Europe, the 22%-64% breakdown in the Czech Republic is nearly 3-1 against a military response. In Latin America, Ecuador's 19%-83% breakdown is over 4-1 against military action.

      In short, aside from the US, Israel and India, the overwhelming majority of people around the world favor treating this terrorist act as the crime it is, rather than the act of war the terrorists want it to be.

Military Attack or Extradict Terrorists?
1. In your opinion, once the identity of the terrorists is known, should the American government launch a military attack on the country or countries where the terrorists are based or should the American government seek to extradite the terrorists to stand trial?
  Launch
Attack 		Extradite /
Stand Trial 		Don't know /
no answer
WESTERN EUROPE
  Austria 10 82 8
  Denmark 20 74 6
  Finland 14 82 4
  France 29 67 4
  Germany 17 77 6
  Greece 6 88 6
  Italy 21 71 8
  Luxembourg 18 78 4
  Netherlands 28 68 4
  Portuigal 18 75 8
  Spain 12 86 2
  UK excl. NI 18 75 7
  Norway 12 83 5
EASTERN EUROPE
  Bosnia 14 80 6
  Bulgaria 19 66 15
  Czech Rep 22 64 14
  Croatia 8 82 10
  Estonia 10 87 3
  Latvia 21 64 15
  Lithuania 15 83 2
  Romania 18 78 4
REST OF WORLD
  Argentina 8 84 8
  Colombia 11 85 4
  Ecuador 19 83 7
  Mexico 2 94 3
  Panama 16 80 4
  Peru 8 89 3
  Venezuela 11 86 3
  USA 54 30 16
  India 72 28 0
  Israel 77 19 4
  Korea 38 54 9
  Pakistan 9 69 22
  South Africa 18 75 7
  Zimbabwe 11 84 5

No Civilian Targets

      Opposition to targeting civilians was even more widespread. In no country did a majority of the population favor targeting civilians. The highest level of support for targeting civilians was 36% in Israel, the lowest was 1% in Greece.

Military Targets Only?
2. If the United States decides to launch an attack, should the American government attack military targets only or both military and civilian targets?
  Military
Targets
Only 		Military &
Civilian
Targets 		Don't know /
no answer
WESTERN EUROPE
  Austria 82 5 13
  Denmark 84 8 8
  Finland 76 11 13
  France 84 10 6
  Germany 84 8 8
  Greece 82 1 17
  Italy 86 6 8
  Luxembourg 82 9 9
  Netherlands 68 29 12
  Portuigal 74 19 16
  Spain 84 6 10
  UK excl. NI 84 8 8
  Norway 86 7 7
EASTERN EUROPE
  Bosnia 72 14 14
  Bulgaria 71 9 20
  Czech Rep 75 13 12
  Croatia - - -
  Estonia 88 4 8
  Latvia 82 9 9
  Lithuania 73 11 16
  Romania 85 6 9
REST OF WORLD
  Argentina 70 6 24
  Colombia 71 8 21
  Ecuador 74 26 0
  Mexico 73 11 16
  Panama 62 29 9
  Peru 66 11 23
  Venezuela 81 8 11
  USA 56 28 16
  India 76 22 2
  Israel 56 36 8
  Korea 79 17 5
  Pakistan 55 2 43
  South Africa 66 16 18
  Zimbabwe 79 18 11

Coaxing Support

      The highest levels of support for military action came from framing the question in terms of having one's country join with the US. In fourteen nations more people said their country should join US military actions than should not.

      By eliminating the option of joining in some other sort of action, questions posed in this manner are expected to raise the level of support by recruiting support from people who would prefer another option, but more strongly prefer doing something to doing nothing.

      Even so, in 19 countries more people said their country should not join the US in military action.

Should Your Country
Take Part In Military Action?
3. Some countries and all NATO member states have agreed to participate in any military action against the terrorists responsible for the attacks or against those countries harboring the terrorists. Do you agree or disagree that should take part in military actions against terrorists with the United States?
  Should
Take Part 		Shouldn't
Take Part 		Don't know /
no answer
WESTERN EUROPE
  Austria 14 82 4
  Denmark 80 13 7
  Finland 8 83 9
  France 73 23 4
  Germany 53 43 4
  Greece 29 60 11
  Italy 66 26 8
  Luxembourg 74 18 8
  Netherlands 66 20 14
  Portuigal 70 23 7
  Spain 58 37 5
  UK excl. NI 79 12 9
  Norway 58 32 10
EASTERN EUROPE
  Bosnia 43 47 10
  Bulgaria 21 66 13
  Czech Rep 55 34 11
  Croatia 36 56 9
  Estonia 38 53 9
  Latvia - - -
  Lithuania 41 49 10
  Romania 40 52 8
REST OF WORLD
  Argentina 20 77 3
  Colombia 40 57 3
  Ecuador 35 64 1
  Mexico 21 78 1
  Panama 20 75 5
  Peru 46 52 2
  Venezuela 6 91 3
  USA - - -
  India 86 8 6
  Israel 66 29 5
  Korea 46 42 12
  Pakistan 32 62 6
  South Africa 44 46 10
  Zimbabwe 27 69 4

Economic Crisis

      Many people were obviously concerned about the possibility of an economic crisis being triggered by the terrorist attacks. Concern was generally higher among the poorer, less developed nations.

Lead to Global Economic Crisis?
4. Do you think the terrorist events in the United States will lead to a global economic crisis or do you think these events will have no lasting effect on the global economy?
  Lead to
Crisis 		No Lasting
Effect 		Don't know /
no answer
WESTERN EUROPE
  Austria 43 46 11
  Denmark 35 52 13
  Finland 19 60 21
  France 46 49 5
  Germany 48 53 7
  Greece 75 16 9
  Italy 59 33 8
  Luxembourg 50 37 13
  Netherlands 40 43 17
  Portuigal 75 18 7
  Spain 53 34 13
  UK excl. NI 55 35 10
  Norway 28 54 18
EASTERN EUROPE
  Bosnia 53 35 12
  Bulgaria 42 33 25
  Czech Rep 48 24 28
  Croatia 66 22 12
  Estonia 49 41 18
  Latvia - - -
  Lithuania 32 59 9
  Romania 41 43 16
REST OF WORLD
  Argentina 70 23 7
  Colombia 81 18 1
  Ecuador 78 22 9
  Mexico 86 11 3
  Panama 62 37 1
  Peru 91 9 0
  Venezuela 53 37 10
  USA 40 45 15
  India 74 17 9
  Israel 43 48 9
  Korea 82 14 4
  Pakistan 52 37 11
  South Africa 68 24 8
  Zimbabwe 68 24 8

Impact of US Policy

      In Eastern Europe, more people thought US policy had a positive impact in 6 countries, while more people thought it had a negative impact in just one country. However, outside of Eastern Europe, attitudes toward the impact of US foreign policy is decidedly mixed.

      In Western Europe, more people thought US policy had a positive impact in 7 countries, while more people thought it had a negative impact in 5.

      In Latin America, more people thought US policy had a positive impact in 2 countries, while more people thought it had a negative impact in 4.

      More Americans thought that it had a positive impact on America, but this amount--22%--was well short of a majority.

      In the rest of the world, more people thought US policy had a positive impact in 3 countries, while more people thought it had a negative impact in 3.

Effect Of US Policy On Your Country
5. Some say American foreign policy has contributed to this terrorism against the United States. Generally, do you think American foreign policy has a positive effect on , a negative effect or does American foreign policy have no effect on ?
  Positive
effect 		Negative
effect 		No effect Don't know /
no answer
WESTERN EUROPE
  Austria 16 30 25 29
  Denmark 32 23 17 28
  Finland 13 18 42 27
  France 24 36 29 11
  Germany 37 34 19 18
  Greece 12 58 15 15
  Italy 47 24 10 19
  Luxembourg 40 11 27 22
  Netherlands 22 22 26 30
  Portuigal 40 25 0 35
  Spain 13 40 27 22
  UK excl. NI 43 20 15 22
  Norway 38 20 12 30
EASTERN EUROPE
  Bosnia 41 32 16 11
  Bulgaria 21 26 29 24
  Czech Rep 36 22 26 16
  Croatia 36 24 14 26
  Estonia 42 13 23 22
  Latvia - - - -
  Lithuania 50 13 23 14
  Romania 34 26 24 16
REST OF WORLD
  Argentina 17 56 11 16
  Colombia 41 36 17 7
  Ecuador 38 40 22 0
  Mexico 39 28 25 8
  Panama - - - -
  Peru 32 45 14 9
  Venezuela 23 43 15 19
  USA 33 22 25 20
  India 8 54 20 18
  Israel 61 20 9 10
  Korea 19 53 7 22
  Pakistan 6 76 15 3
  South Africa 44 20 15 21
  Zimbabwe 42 41 - 17

All data from Gallup International.

www.gallup-international.com/terrorismpoll_figures.htm