Are Americans Becoming More Peaceful?

Hussein’s regime posed an overwhelming security threat because it possessed weapons of mass destruction and was linked to terrorist groups. Even if Iraq had no present intentions to use the weapons directly against the US, a preemptive military intervention was considered necessary to prevent the transfer of WMD. According to Washington, the time for waiting had passed. Baghdad had to be disarmed by force. Public opinion polls seemed to support the Bush administration. Approximately 70 percent agreed that military force had to be used against Saddam’s regime, and almost half believed that the Iraqi leader was directly involved in the 9/11 attacks (NYT/CBS News Poll 2003). The war started and in a relatively short time, the military were able to overthrow the Ba’ath regime. Once again, these actions received public support. The public favored the decision to use military force against Iraq by about a three-to-one margin (Pew Research Center 2003). Job approval for President Bush soared to record levels. The public appeared to be squarely behind the war. But if we go back to the period immediately preceding the war, it is possible to paint a very different picture. A peace movement was rapidly increasing in strength and staged large demonstrations in Washington, New York, San Francisco, and other locations throughout the US. International contacts were established and, within the US, a large number of trade unions, churches, municipalities, and professiona