Poll: Twenty Percent Of Americans Support Torturing Terrorist Suspects

A CNN poll released on Wednesday revealed that roughly 20 percent of the public said the interrogation techniques used by the Bush administration constituted torture but support use of the techniques on terrorist suspects regardless.

The figure, somewhat buried in the release of the poll, helps explains why, as CNN Polling Director Keating Holland says, "a majority don't want to see former Bush officials investigated."

Six out of every ten people surveyed said they believed that the interrogation techniques used by the Bush White House -- including waterboarding -- were a "form of torture." One out of every five of those individuals, nevertheless, thought the application of these techniques on suspected terrorists was justified. Fifty percent of all respondents said they approved of the former administration's use of "harsh interrogation procedures," including the waterboard.

The findings provide a rather frank insight into how a substantial portion of the country approaches the debate over counter-terrorism policies and the suggestion that an investigation should be launched should it be proven that laws were broken. Only 42 percent of respondents said they believed Congress should conduct an investigation of the Bush administration officials who authorized the use of those procedures; 57 percent said no. The same percentage supported an independent panel investigation, with 55 percent opposing that forum as well.

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Comments

[banats]

And what will these people think when they see pictures of an American being tortured. Because it's bound to happen. We set the standard.

[Mavsreader]

A pollster that doesn't SHOW their numbers but does it as a "podcast"? Show us the numbers and the questions, please. Sorry Sam, doesn't pass the sniff test and is best posted on CNN.

[kapalabhati]

Same 20%ers. The same ones who still believe Bu$h and Cheney were good for the country. Move along, folks, nothing to see here.

[Greywolf Borealis]

It appears we have become a nation of sicko-sadists.

[force fed up]

don't relate those 20% to the rest of us, please. Thank you.

[wadenelson1]

You cannot call yourself a Christian and condone torture.

If a guy had knowledge of the whereabouts of a nuclear bomb about to go off in NYC, maybe, but we've never faced that scenario and probably never will.

[GeneralDisarray]

20%? , now who could they possibly be?

[CosmicIrony]

It is clear that there is a failure of the media to clarify the difference between "accused terrorist" and "terrorist". I think that most people don't make that distinction and thus their willingness to torture terrorists to gain information leads them to be willing to use torture to elicit false confessions from innocent victims. But I believe that if this distinction is made clear, and constantly reinforced, that people would prefer to avoid torturing the accused.

Maybe I'm too optimistic, but everyone I've talked with about this (who supported torture) was talking about torturing terrorists with "ticking timebomb" information, the "24" scenario.

[force fed up]

What most people don't comprehend is that if we go ahead and say that Waterboarding is not torture, then it will only be a matter of time before its used on Americans. I laugh when I see the Rightwingers get upset because all those things they backed in the Patriot Act are now being used against them. Its okay to do to them, not us.

Just like when both parties have tried to abolish filibustering without considering the fact that one day they would be the minority party and would need filibustering abilities to keep certain agendas from advancing. Laws are a two-way street. The moment we say its okay, others will too. What happens when a truly oppressive administration takes control? Who gets water-boarded then, those un-Americans who disagree with them?

[jham710]

How awful that anyone supports torture. This country is supposed to be above revenge. How sad for those that support those actions.

http://www.thehamandlegsshow.com

[jham710]

Wow. I'm shocked that anyone would support torture. How sad for those people who only seek revenge.

http://www.thehamandlegsshow.com

[LauraNo]

I wonder if that 20% is the same 20% who still claims to be republican? Regardless, we don't conduct criminal investigations based on polls. If we did, I would like to point out the republicans who are left are crazy and can't be listened to. Bunch of scaredy-cat whiners who think nothing of torturing or killing but cry about embryonic cells...

[tinarm]

Well, I find myself in the minority, I think their should be investigations for everyone to see and hear, like during the red scare and then I think these jerks should be placed in isolation for the rest of their miserable exsistence.

[force fed up]

Wow... what a coincidence. That's almost the exact same amount of Americans who thought Dubya was the best president ever, and that America is now headed in the wrong direction. Amazing!

[johndtuttle]

20%? Lemme guess, isn't that the number that self identify as Republican too? Coincidenc­e?...lols.

Truth is stranger than fiction.

[GiveUsFree]

Who cares what the 20%ers think. The law was broken. Why are we pretending there is a debate where none exists? Disbar the lawyers, impeach the judge and prosecute the Bush officials. They have soiled our good name.

[pene]

hear hear. what motivation does the press have in pretending that there is a debate here? I'm tired of "harsh interrogat­ion." A rose by any other name...Tor­ture is torture. prosecute, impeach, and disbar. enough is enough!

[RobertHenryEller]

20% of the country supports torture.

Probably half the country supports currently illegal drugs.

That doesn't make it legal.

Not prosecuting lawbreakers because some of us don't consider their crime a crime. Good way to make laws. Let's make murder legal, because obviously some people do it, so they think it's not a bad thing. Let's make rape legal. Lot's of people don't think that's a bad thing.

We really need to start teaching people why our laws work as they do. Too many people do not understand how the law is supposed to work. If we get any more legally illiterate we will face an ungovernable country.