The September 11th attack | America strikes back
Poll finds overwhelming support for strikes

By Richard Benedetto
Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON — Americans overwhelmingly support President Bush's decision yesterday to begin air strikes against terrorist targets in Afghanistan, despite fears that more terrorist attacks might hit the United States in the next several weeks, a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll shows.

A nationwide survey taken several hours after the attacks began showed that 90 percent approve of the strikes and 92 percent approve of Bush's overall handling of the crisis.

The numbers suggest that those Americans protesting a U.S. military response are a tiny minority and have not added to their numbers in the nearly four weeks that have passed since hijacked airplanes crashed into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center towers in New York, killing about 5,000 people. At that time, with the shock of attacks fresh in their minds, 90 percent said they favored a military response by the United States.

The new poll further showed that 78 percent say the United States should take military action not only against Afghanistan but also against any other country that harbors or supports terrorists.

And a solid 77 percent say they favor striking Afghanistan even if it means sending in U.S. ground troops. Moreover, about two of three (65 percent) say they favor striking even if it means some Afghan civilians are killed in the attacks.

Overall, 83 percent say further terrorist attacks in the United States are likely in the next several weeks.

On the timing of yesterday's attacks in Afghanistan:

• 14 percent say the United States should have launched the attacks before now.
• 72 percent say the United States waited the right amount of time before striking.
• 9 percent say the United States should have waited longer.

On how long the fight will take, Americans seem prepared for the long haul:

• 10 percent say the battle will last a few weeks or less.
• 34 percent say several months.
• 26 percent say a year or two.
• 22 percent say more than two years.

The Oct. 7 poll of 660 adults has an error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points.