{"id":15841,"date":"2013-06-14T14:58:37","date_gmt":"2013-06-14T19:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/u-s-aid-to-syrian-rebels-public-has-opposed-american-involvement-in-the-past\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:31:03","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:31:03","slug":"u-s-aid-to-syrian-rebels-public-has-opposed-american-involvement-in-the-past","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/beta.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2013\/06\/14\/u-s-aid-to-syrian-rebels-public-has-opposed-american-involvement-in-the-past\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. aid to Syrian rebels: Public has opposed American involvement in the past"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the Obama administration has been criticized by Republican Sen. John McCain<\/a> and other advocates of a more assertive U.S. role in aiding the rebels in Syria, public opinion surveys have consistently shown Americans to have little interest in the conflict and have been opposed — or lukewarm, at best, — to getting involved in the conflict.<\/p>\n\n

\"FT_Syria_Involved\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Big majorities of the U.S. public (as well as the publics of many countries in the Mideast) have opposed the idea of the U.S. sending weapons to the rebels — something that President Obama this week decided to do<\/a> after his administration concluded that the Syrian government had crossed a “red line”<\/a> by using chemical weapons against its opposition.<\/p>\n\n

In a survey conducted last December<\/a>, 65% of Americans opposed the U.S. and its allies sending arms to anti-government groups in Syria, about the same number as held that view the previous March. About an equal number (63%) of Americans said the U.S. did not have a responsibility to get involved in the Syrian conflict.<\/p>\n\n

Those surveys were conducted before the specter of chemical weapons use by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad came into the spotlight.<\/p>\n\n

But in a Pew Research Center survey<\/a> conducted in late April, after claims of chemical weapons use had been in the news, the findings showed only a modest willingness on the part of Americans to take action. A plurality (45%) said they would favor military action against Syria if it was confirmed that chemical weapons had been used, while 31% opposed doing so.<\/p>\n\n

A Wall Street Journal\/NBC News poll<\/a>, conducted May 30-June 2, framed the question of involvement this way: “Syrian civilians have been killed by their government in response to protests and civil unrest” and asked those surveyed to choose among a series of actions that U.S. might take. Just 11% supported providing arms to the opposition and 15% backed taking military action to stop the killing. About four-in-ten (42%) said humanitarian assistance should be provided and 24% said no action should be taken at all.<\/p>\n\n

As for the general proposition of involvement, a survey by the New York Times\/CBS News<\/a> (May 31-June 4)\u00a0 — like the Pew Research polls — found more than six-in-ten Americans saying the U.S. did not have a responsibility to intervene in Syria. A Fox News survey<\/a> (May 18-20) found that 68% agreed with the statement “The U.S. should NOT do more in Syria because it’s a civil war that’s a no-win situation for the U.S., and we could actually end up helping anti-American extremist groups.”<\/p>\n\n

\"FT_US_Europe2\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

A Pew Research Center survey<\/a> conducted in March also found opposition abroad to the U.S. or allies sending arms to the Syrian rebels.<\/p>\n\n

In Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt and the Palestinian territories, roughly six-in-ten or more opposed western countries sending arms and military supplies to anti-government groups in Syria. The only support for such aid came in Jordan where 53% backed military help for the rebels from the West.<\/p>\n\n

Similarly, majorities in France (69%), Britain (57%), Turkey (65%) and Germany (82%) — like the U.S. public — opposed their own countries sending arms and military supplies to the rebels.<\/p>\n\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Public opinion surveys have consistently shown Americans to have little interest in the Syrian conflict and have been opposed — or lukewarm, at best, — to getting 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