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nearly one in five americans dismiss Iraqi torture as "pranks"

djome | 11.05.2004 13:44 | Anti-racism

CNN/ USA Today/ Gallup poll shows alarming extent to which Iraqi torture is being tolerated in the states.

In the poll, 18% believed that the cases of Iraqi torture "were mostly harmless pranks that do not deserve any major punishment".

This torture included, lets remember, electrocution of genitals, sexual humiliation and the forced simulation of sex acts.

The poll statistics can be found here:  http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/polls/usatodaypolls.htm

This particular poll statistic is found three quarters way down.

The exact question and answer reads:

19. Which comes closer to your view about the actions of the U.S. soldiers involved in the photographed incidents of abuse: they were mostly harmless pranks that do not deserve any major punishment, or they were mostly serious offenses that deserve criminal punishment?

Harmless pranks Serious offenses No opinion
18 71 11

djome

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

just as interesting...

11.05.2004 13:50

the same poll finds that 81% believe US soldiers generally "have higher standards of behavior than soldiers from most other countries".

oh dear.

djome

Xenophobia

11.05.2004 14:06



In fact a massive majority of Americans polled (73%) thought there were no circumstances in which this was justified, and a massive majority (71%) thought these were not 'harmless pranks' but 'serious offences'. Why the spin?

watcher

spin?

11.05.2004 14:57

not spin.
these are all facts.

i am shocked that one in five think this is nothing to be concerned about.

i am glad that the other four in five are.

one in five is quite a lot though. i don't know many people who think electrocuting peoples genitals to be a harmless prank, do you?

the high figure that do is well worth reporting

djome

Why the spin indeed.

11.05.2004 16:55

Jeez, watcher, and if only one in 5 people thought molesting children was good clean harmless fun, would you be happy about that statistic too? After all, it's still a minority.

Aim Here