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CNN / Time Poll by TNS Reveals Public Majority Believes Iran Poses No Nuclear Threat to Europe |
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Written by TNS
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30 Mar 2005 |
Almost six out of ten (59 per cent) adults in Britain, France and
Germany say that Iran does not pose a nuclear threat to Europe,
according to the findings of a new CNN/TIME poll conducted by TNS and
published today.
The findings, published on the eve of a presidential commission on the
intelligence capabilities of the US regarding weapons of mass
destruction, show that Europeans believe the threat posed by Iran is
actually far less serious than that suggested by President Bush and
Prime Minister Blair. Adults in France were more likely to think Iran
posed a nuclear
threat (34 per cent) than in Germany (30 per cent) and Britain (27 per
cent), which is perhaps surprising in light of France’s opposition to
the war in Iraq.
President Bush named Iran as “the world’s primary state sponsor of
terror” in his State of the Union Address in February and the US has
refused to rule out a military strike against Iran. However, the new
findings suggest that the public majority do not perceiveIran as posing
a real threat and would be very unlikely to support plans for military
action against the country.? Of those adults surveyed who did
believe Iran posed a nuclear threat, 59 per cent said ‘diplomacy’ was
the best way to handle the situation. Just three per cent said using
military force alone was the best course of action.? Support for
military action was highest in Britain (seven per cent of those
surveyed) and lowest in Germany (zero per cent).? An additional 22
per cent across all countries supported the combined approach of using
both diplomacy and
military force.
Other key findings from the research showed that just 17 per cent of
adults in key European countries trusted politicians to tell the public
the truth about the prospect of potential terror attacks.? This
was the lowest proportion among all options offeredto
respondents.? This compares to some 30 per cent who trusted the
media and 43 per cent who trusted senior
police officials for information on terror attacks.? International
aid agencies were the most trusted information source (51 per cent of
those surveyed).
The research also showed that Germany was far more likely to trust all
authorities to provide information on the threat of terrorist
attacks.? Some 22 per cent of people in Germany trusted
politicians to give accurate information, compared to just 14 per cent
in Britain and 12 per cent in France.? Similarly 68 per cent of
people in Germany trusted international aid agencies, compared to just
40 per cent in France and 37 per cent in Britain.?
Sue Homeyard, Director, TNS commented: “The new research shows another
significant disconnect between the views of the European public and
those of US & British political leaders about the threat posed by
Iran.? Since the widespread public demonstrations against the war
in Iraq, senior politicians have done little to allay concerns about
the legitimacy and accuracy of intelligence information and to show
they are acting in the best interests of the democracies who put them
inpower.?
“With Britain’s general election now little more than a month away,
trust will be a key factor in winning public support.? However,
marred by several allegations of sleaze which have tainted the image of
all Britain’s main political parties inrecent years, securing the
public’s trust could be a very slow process.”
About TNS
TNS is a market information group. We are the world’s largest custom
research company and a leading provider of social and political
polling. We are also a major supplier of consumer panel, TV audience
measurement and media intelligence services.
TNS operates a global network spanning 70 countries and employs over
13,000 people. We provide market information and measurement, together
with insights and analysis, to local and multinational
organisations.?
Wecombine our specialist sector knowledge with expertise in the areas
of new product development, motivational research, brand and
advertising research and stakeholder management to bring our clients
up-to-the minute, internationally consistent information. Wethink
differently to help our clients build competitive advantage, making TNS
the sixth sense of business.
www.tns-global.com
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Last Updated ( 23 Aug 2005 )
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