Poll: Americans, Canadians oppose nuclear Iran
Nine out of 10 US, Canadian citizens favor destroying Islamic Republic's atomic capabilities
Washington - Nine out of ten Americans and Canadians believe that the world cannot tolerate a nuclear Iran, a new poll shows. According to an Ipsos Reid survey published on Sunday, 92% of those asked agree with the statement, "the world cannot tolerate an Iran with nuclear capabilities".
Related Stories:
- Israel successfully tests Magic Wand system
- Report: Satellite detects Iran attempt to smuggle Fajr rockets to Gaza
- Pentagon: Iran improving missiles to target vessels
The survey was conducted on behalf of "The Munk Debates" held bi-annually in Toronto. The main debate, to take place Monday night, will be devoted to the issue of Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Unwilling to tolerate a nuclear Iran (Photo: AP)
It is not a given that Canadians, generally regarded as liberals, are aligned with American policies regarding a nuclear Iran. "The Edmonton Journal," which published the findings, noted that the outcomes of the survey also surprised the debate's organizers, as in the past Canadian citizens took a more lenient stance.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, known for advancing his pronounced, pro-Israel policies, seems to be having an influence on public opinion.
“Many people, I think were assuming that this government was somehow out of step with public opinion when it comes to its very hawkish, hard-line stance on Iran," Rudyard Griffiths, co-organizer and moderator of the debates, was quoted as saying by the Montreal Gazette.
According to Griffiths, the survey proves that the vast majority of North American citizens support one of two options regarding the manner in which nuclear Iran must be dealt with: A pre-emptive strike that will destroy Tehran's nuclear capability or a series of attacks over a few years in order to systematically hinder Iran's enrichment abilities.
US State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Noland announced Friday that a conference meant to deal with the dismantling of nuclear weapons in the Middle East was cancelled.
It appears the the reason for the cancellation was fears that following Operation Pillar of Defense, Israel would be the focus of discussion rather than nuclear Iran.
- Receive Ynetnews updates
directly to your desktop
