Nearly Two-Thirds Of Americans Oppose Intervention In Libyan Civil War

While Washington talking heads continue to advocate for American military involvement in Libya, the American people feel otherwise:

As official Washington buzzes with talk of possible U.S. military intervention in Libya, the majority of U.S. voters continue to favor a hands-off approach.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States should get more directly involved in the Libyan crisis. Sixty-three percent (63%) say America should leave the situation alone. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

These findings echo those in a survey in late February when 67% said the United States should stay out of the political situation unfolding in several Arab countries including Libya.

Sounds to me like another one of those times when the public is ahead of the pundits.

 

 

FILED UNDER: Africa, Public Opinion Polls, US Politics, World Politics,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Dave Schuler says:

    IMO if you took a poll of those rebelling against the Libyan government (if such a thing were possible) as to whether the U. S. should bomb Libya, they’d oppose it overwhelmingly. However, they might supporrt the U. S. establishing a no-fly zone in sectors of the country.

    The question then becomes whether the U. S., absent the certification of a legitimate authority, should unilaterally place its soldiers in more harm than necessary to impose a no-fly zone of unknown and unknowable effectiveness on some portion of Libya for an unknown duration to enable groups in Libya to achieve unknown goals (and probably goals that are contradictory).

    I don’t think that can be justified but it’s pretty clear that quite some number in government circles and in the punditry think it can.

  2. John425 says:

    I recall the CIA keeping busy in Afghanistan fighting off the Russians with Stinger missiles. Isn’t that what the CIA is for? Covert operations? Does Obama even know what the CIA is?

    Attention Leon Panetta—call your office.