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CNN Live Today

Broad Support Among Americans for Overthrowing Hussein

Aired June 18, 2002 - 12:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: There's a new flurry of reports about possible U.S. plans to remove Iraq's Saddam Hussein one way or the other. The idea appears to have broad support in Washington too.

To gauge how the public feels, we turn now to Frank Newport, Editor-In-Chief of the Gallup organization -- Frank, good to see you.

FRANK NEWPORT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GALLUP POLL: Hi -- good to see you, Kyra.

In fact, it has broad support all across America. I went back and looked at the questions that we've asked, going back to 1991. It's been dozens of times that we and other pollsters have asked the American public about removing Saddam Hussein. And in all instances, generally speaking, well over a majority said yes.

I thought I'd take you back here right after the Gulf War in 1991. "Should the U.S. have continued with its allies until Saddam Hussein was removed?" Back then, three-quarters of Americans said, yes, they had wished the U.S. had gone on to remove him at that time.

And that kind of typifies what we have found all the years since. I can show you a very recent asking just a month or two ago. "Should ground troops be used to remove Saddam Hussein from power?" And you can see here well over a majority, 59 percent of Americans agree at this point.

The numbers go up and down a little, depending on how we phrase the question. But basically, broad support, however we ask it.

Now interestingly, Bill Clinton on Monday was quoted as saying, "This shouldn't be America's highest priority right now until a Middle East peace was brought about." But when we asked Americans, we -- then we find (ph) high priority assigned to it.

This was pretty high to us. Forty-five percent of Americans just a month or two ago said "very important" was the priority they would attach to removing Saddam Hussein from power. And actually, if you put the "somewhat importants" together, we've got, oh, 80 percent plus of Americans saying it's an important goal for the U.S., Kyra.

So there's no question about, the support is broad, and I would say deep -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Frank Newport, thank you so much.

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