Americans Are United on Iran

The Gallop poll question and results

99% of Americans Believe Iran Is a Threat to the U.S.

We’re always hearing that American society is terribly polarized and you can’t get most Americans to agree that the sun rises in the east. But, apparently there is something that unites almost all Americans: the opinion that Iran is a threat. In fact, the latest Gallup poll shows that 99 percent of Americans believe that the development of nuclear weapons by Iran is a “critical” or “important” threat to the vital interests of the United States. Iran ranked as the top threat, followed by North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and international terrorism.

Commendably, UPI covered the story.  However, no other major national media outlet that felt this story merited coverage. The Chicago Tribune ran an analysis piece that mentioned Americans’ concerns, only to completely discount them as “a totally irrational fear.” Apparently, writer William Pfaff knows more about Iran’s nuclear program than the IAEA and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Or possibly, like 99 percent of Americans, Mr. Ban and IAEA inspectors are “irrational.”

Just the fact that 99 percent of Americans agree about anything makes this poll – in and of itself – worth reporting. Unless... the other one percent consists of members of the media. How else can one answer the perennial question... Where’s the coverage?
[Camera.org]

UPDATES:


Poll: 9 in 10 Americans Have Unfavorable View of Iran -Haviv Rettig Gur
   
A February Gallup poll found that nearly 9 in 10 Americans hold an unfavorable view of Iran. Only 9% had a positive view. 

Iran was the least favorable country out of 22 measured.
(Times of Israel)


Arabs Increasingly Hostile toward Iran -Marc Lynch

Iran is now viewed unfavorably in a majority of Arab countries, according to a survey conducted by James Zogby of 20 Arab and Muslim-majority countries. Iran's appeal to mainstream Arab public opinion has virtually collapsed from its 2006 peak, he found, in part because of its violent suppression of protests following the 2009 presidential election. "Syria is the nail in the coffin of Iran's favorable rating in the region," Zogby concluded.
     
Iran is viewed unfavorably in 11 out of 17 Arab countries, and large majorities of Arab publics sided with the opposition Green Movement over the Iranian government and disapprove of Iran's role in Syria, Iraq, and the Gulf.

These findings should put an end to the conceit that Iran is on the march or that Arabs have the slightest interest in aligning with Tehran with or without a nuclear bomb.
(Foreign Policy)
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U.S. Poll: 64% Say Military Action Preferable to an Iranian Nuke    

A national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted March 13-17, found that 64% of Americans favor stopping Iran's nuclear program, even if it means taking military action.
(Pew Research Center)
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