Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/10117

The Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) was established in 1992 with the purpose of giving public opinion a greater voice in international relations. PIPA conducts in-depth studies of public opinion that include polls, focus groups and interviews. It integrates its findings together with those of other organizations. It actively seeks the participation of members of the policy community in developing its polls so as to make them immediately relevant to the needs of policymakers. PIPA is a joint program of the Center on Policy Attitudes (COPA) and the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM).

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All Iraqi Ethnic Groups Overwhelmingly Reject al Qaeda: But Groups Vary on Iran, Syria, Hezbollah
(2006-09-27) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
A new poll of Iraqis shows that al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden are rejected by overwhelming majorities of Shias and Kurds and large majorities of Sunnis. Shias have mildly positive views of Iran and its President, while Kurds and Sunnis have strongly negative views. Shias and Kurds have mostly negative views of Syria, while Sunnis are mildly positive. Shias have overwhelmingly positive views of Hezbollah, while Kurds and Sunnis have negative views. The poll was conducted for WorldPublicOpinion.org by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland and was fielded by KA Research Ltd. / D3 Systems, Inc. A nationwide representative sample of 1,150 Iraqi adults was surveyed September 1-4.
International Poll: No Consensus On Who Was Behind 9/11
(2008-09-10) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll of 17 nations finds that majorities in only nine of them believe that al Qaeda was behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Iraq: The Separate Realities of Republicans and Democrats
(2006-03-28) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
The war with Iraq, now three years on, will surely be regarded by historians as one of the more unusual wars in history. The stated premise for going to war—Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and support for al-Qaeda—was unfounded, a number of US government commissions have concluded. However, other government leaders have made statements that leave ambiguities on what was in fact the case. Not surprisingly, over the years a number of studies have found that there have been widespread differences among Americans, not only in their attitudes about the war, but also their perceptions of what were, in fact, the realities surrounding it, including the premises for going to war.
The Iraqi Public on the US Presence and the Future of Iraq
(2006-09-27) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
In January 2006 WorldPublicOpinion.org conducted a poll of Iraqis. Since then there have been numerous developments that raise questions about how the views of the Iraqi people may have shifted. The center of violence in Iraq has shifted geographically into Baghdad, and socially into interethnic violence between Shias and Sunnis. Has this changed attitudes about the presence of US forces—especially among the Sunnis who may now feel more vulnerable? Some Iraqi members of parliament have called for the US to give a timetable for the withdrawal of its forces. In the January poll, a majority of Iraqis wanted the US to set a timetable, but there was no majority sentiment for a quick withdrawal. What do the Iraqi people feel now, and does it vary by ethnic group? Attacks on US troops have continued unabated. In January, nearly half of Iraqis approved of attacks on US-led forces--but the sense that American troops are now focused on reducing violence in Baghdad may have altered the equation. Meanwhile, the argument among Iraq’s political parties about how decentralized the country’s future federal structure will be continues to simmer. Among Shia leaders there are deep divisions over whether or not to set up a largely autonomous region in the south. While Kurds in the north have considerable autonomy now, the size and independence of their future territory remains a subject for dispute. Sunni leaders tend to be hostile to federalism in general. In America, there has also been speculation in policy circles about whether a full partition of Iraq would be the best long-run solution. But it is unclear to what degree the centrifugal forces that are undoubtedly in play actually represent what ordinary Iraqis think. The growth of militias, in many cases allied to political parties, has been a deeply troubling phenomenon. It is possible that this very growth in militia membership is a sign that Iraqis are turning to them increasingly to meet their need for security. However, since militia members certainly do not constitute a majority of all Iraqis, it is also possible that the apparent trend does not coincide with most people’s desires. In the US, there is a stormy political argument over whether the presence in Iraq of an al Qaeda group, active in atrocities against US troops, foreign civilians, and Iraqi civilians alike, means that battle lines are now clearly drawn in Iraq between those who stand with the US against al Qaeda and those who do the opposite. But little is known of how the mass of Iraqis view al Qaeda, or whether opponents of the US presence are also al Qaeda supporters. In the context of these dynamics, WorldPublicOpinion.org has undertaken a second poll of the Iraqi people to determine their attitudes about these various developments occurring around them, and also to differentiate the views of the ethnic subgroups—Arab Sunnis, Shia and Kurds. The poll was fielded by KA Research Limited/D3 Systems, Inc. Polling was conducted September 1-4 with a nationwide sample of 1,150, which included an oversample of Arab Sunnis. Respondents from all of Iraq’s 18 governorates were interviewed for the sample.
Less than Half of Pakistani Public Supports Attacking Al Qaeda, Cracking Down on Fundamentalists
(2007-10-31) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
Pakistanis show only weak support for using force against Islamic militants and overwhelmingly oppose allowing outside forces to combat al Qaeda on Pakistani territory.
Most Americans Believe Bush Administration is Still Saying Iraq had Major WMD Program: 4 in 10 Americans, 6 in 10 Republicans, Also Believe It Is True
(2006-04-13) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
A new report in the Washington Post says that in 2003 members of the Bush administration continued to say that Iraq had a WMD program, citing mobile units purportedly for making biological weapons, even after they had received a report from on-site experts to the contrary. A poll conducted last month by WorldPublicOpinion.org finds that seven in ten Americans perceive the Bush administration as still saying that Iraq had a major WMD program or actual WMD. Not surprisingly 4 in 10 continue to believe that before the war Iraq did have at least a major WMD program, including 6 in 10 Republicans. Two thirds also perceive that the Bush administration is still saying that the Iraq provided substantial support to al Qaeda.
Muslim Publics Oppose Al Qaeda's Terrorism, But Agree With Its Goal of Driving US Forces Out: Support for Including Islamist Groups in Elections
(2009-02-24) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
A study of public opinion in predominantly Muslim countries reveals that very large majorities continue to renounce the use of attacks on civilians as a means of pursuing political goals. At the same time large majorities agree with al Qaeda's goal of pushing the United States to remove its military forces from all Muslim countries and substantial numbers, in some cases majorities, approve of attacks on US troops in Muslim countries.
Muslims Believe US Seeks to Undermine Islam: Majorities Want US Forces Out of Islamic Countries And Approve of Attacks on US Troops Large Majorities Agree With Many Goals of Al Qaeda But Oppose Attacks on Civilians Most Support Enhancing Role of Islam in Their Society, But Also Favor Globalization and Democracy
(2007-04-24) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
An in-depth poll of four major Muslim countries has found that in all of them large majorities believe that undermining Islam is a key goal of US foreign policy. Most want US military forces out of the Middle East and many approve of attacks on US troops there. Most respondents have mixed feelings about al Qaeda. Large majorities agree with many of its goals, but believe that terrorist attacks on civilians are contrary to Islam.
Pakistani Public Turns Against Taliban, But Still Negative on US
(2009-07-01) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
Most Pakistanis now see the Pakistani Taliban as well as al Qaeda as a critical threat to the country--a major shift from 18 months ago--and support the government and army in their fight in the Swat Valley against the Pakistani Taliban. An overwhelming majority think that Taliban groups who seek to overthrow the Afghan government should not be allowed to have bases in Pakistan.
Two in Three Americans Call Iraq a War of Choice, Not Necessity: Majority Now Says That Iraq Had No WMD Program But Still Divided on Whether Iraq Supported al-Qaeda Bush Administration Perceived as Still Saying Iraq Had Major WMD Program and Supported al-Qaeda
(2006-03-15) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
By a two-to-one margin Americans now say that the Iraq war was a war of choice, not a war of necessity--i.e., it was not necessary for the defense of the US--and that the war was not the best use of US resources, according to a new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll. For the first time, a majority now believes that Iraq did not have a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program, though the public is still divided on whether Iraq supported al-Qaeda. Such beliefs are highly correlated with support for the war. A large bipartisan majority says that if Iraq did not have WMD or did not support al-Qaeda, the US should not have gone to war. Majorities in both parties perceive the Bush administration as continuing to say that Iraq did have WMDs or a major WMD program and provided substantial support to al-Qaeda.
US 'War on Terror' Has Not Weakened al Qaeda, Says Global Poll
(2008-09-28) Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)
The US's 'war on terror' has failed to weaken its prime target al Qaeda, according to people in 22 out of 23 countries surveyed in a new poll for the BBC World Service. On average only 22 per cent believe that al Qaeda has been weakened, while three in five believe that it has either had no effect (29%) or made al Qaeda stronger (30%).