http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,812632,00.html
There has been a spectacular surge in support among British voters for military action against Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the terror attack in Bali, according to the latest Guardian/ICM poll. The survey, which was carried out on Monday, shows that support for a military attack on Iraq has risen 10 points in the last week from 32% to 42% of voters. The ICM poll also shows that more voters agree with Tony Blair that it is necessary to fight on two fronts against both al-Qaida and Iraq. Only one in three voters agree that the United States and Britain "took their eye off the ball" by concentrating on Iraq. Mr Blair yesterday told the Commons in an emergency statement that the Bali attack was "an act of pure wickedness" which he said would be met "with defiance and determination". He told MPs that he entirely rejected the contention that terrorism should be fought alone and that dealing with Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was a distraction. "Some say that we should fight terrorism alone and that the issues to do with weapons of mass destruction are a distraction. I reject that entirely," he said. "Both, though different in means, are the same in nature. Both are the new threats facing the post-cold war world. Both are threats from people of states who do not care about human life, who have no compunction about killing the innocent. Both represent the extreme replacing the rational, the fanatic driving out moderation." The Guardian/ICM poll shows that 41% of voters agree with the prime minister that it is not a choice between fighting either Iraq or al-Qaida. Fewer - 35% - disagreed and said they believed the United States had "taken its eye off the ball". The level of support for a military attack on Iraq is now at its highest level since the Guardian started a weekly tracker poll on the question in August. Opposition to a war against Iraq reached a peak in the last week of August when it touched 50% and has now fallen to its lowest level at 37%. Support for a war against Iraq is strongest amongst men - 51% approve as opposed to only 34% of women - and among 25- 34-year-olds who approve by 52% to 25%. Opposition to war is strongest among women - 41% of whom disapprove compared with 33% of men. The poll results also show that the belief that a new UN mandate is needed before British troops are committed remains overwhelming with 85% of voters saying this must be a precondition. A similar proportion - 81% - also says there needs to be a Commons vote before there is British participation in an attack on Iraq. Mistrust of Saddam Hussein also remains at a very high level in Britain. Three-quarters say they do not believe he would honour his commitment to allow UN weapons inspectors into Iraq without any conditions. Only 13% are prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,008 adults aged 18 and over by telephone on Monday 14 October. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. xponent The Coming Trend Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
