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Viewer Poll
When diplomatic efforts to avoid war failed, we conducted a viewers' phone poll, the question was simple:
Now that Britain has abandoned efforts to achieve a second resolution on Iraq, do you support military action?
Phone votes:
We received 70,905 calls in total:
23,794 said yes, that's 34 per cent.
47,111 said no, that's 66 per cent.
Interactive vote:
Another 3,915 responded by clicking the red button on digital satellite TV. These respondents were more evenly divided.
1,960 said 'yes';
1,955 said 'no'.
Email votes:
There were also 253 viewers who voted via email. Just 27 expressed support for military action, while the remaining 226 were against it.
INTERNET LINKS
"One Rule for Them ..." An article by George Monbiot on the human rights comparison of Iraq's treatment to the US POW's with the prisoners held at America's Camp X-Ray
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites.
I'm absolutely opposed to it and marched twice. My MP is Glenda Jackson. Hooray for her. I heard an American expert on TV saying that the Iraqi's have virtually no war machine - so what on earth is it all about?
Could it be about oil? So they can all continue top drive their SUVs (4-wheel drives)? Or to boost the US economy?
And to support those who contributed to Bush's election?
Do you know the very little 'free' health care for the elderly and indigent in the US is being cut severely, someone has to pay for this war. And it's the poorest members of society, as always.
Dr Helen
I can not believe that this evening you have had people on who are protesting by releasing balloons at an international radio-monitoring site.
Although these may not actually have an affect, the fact that they are prepared to attempt such a thing means they have no regard to our troops safety in Iraq.
Such people have no regard for the national security and in my view are a potential risk for future security, as such they should be deported or arrested and charge under the treason act, which I believe still carries the death penalty.
Regardless of anyone’s politics we should support our troops.
Obviously, I am pro-war against Iraq but I have never felt so strongly about airing my opinions until I saw our report, which shows the peace organisations complete disregard for their countryman's safety.
Andrew Picton
What I find most depressing about this war is the fact that many lives will now needlessly be lost simply because one man couldn’t be bothered to sit down and talk.
George Bush’s transparent efforts at a diplomatic solution to this crisis were laughable and Tony Blair’s front of diplomacy was similarly so. Now we are beginning to see the fruits of their ill labour.
Today, pictures of innocent Iraqi’s lying wounded in hospitals and coalition forces executed or captured. British air-men shot down by friendly fire and Terry Lloyd’s tragic death. Now on the horizon we see the Koreans arming for war.
Bush’s ill-conceived plans have the capacity to ignite yet another century of war. What we have seen today may only be the beginning if a stop is not put to these dangerous pre-emptive policies of the American government and those who do not have the stomach to stand against them.
This island must decide whether its needs are met by a dangerously right wing U.S administration or by Europe, despite all its current faults.
Ramzi Alami, Glasgow
Only the most naive can believe that this war is anything to do with the liberation of the Iraqi people, let alone weapons of mass destruction. The hypocrisy of the UK ad US administrations and their talk of human rights, illegal weapons and dictatorship, given their unbroken support for client regimes in Latin America, the Middle East and elsewhere, their numerous abuses of human rights and their own arsenals of weapons (many sold to Saddam) is almost too much to bear.
This war is about global dominance by the USA and its access to oil: while behind it the UK is trotting like and obedient servant. Nothing good can come of this.
Simon Hawkesworth, Lancaster
What the world is seeing is the emergence of a new order, and part reason for the current massive offensive is to demonstrate the absolute might of the US by which the new order will be enforced; diplomacy will be reduced to the pathetic simplicity of - if you are not with us you are our enemy, and will suffer accordingly; we will fund you but you will dance to our tune, and at all times add to the great American corporate dream.
Robert Jaffray, Forfar Scotland
I am alarmed by the way the anti-war movement is slipping from the headlines. In Bristol yesterday around a thousand of us marched through the city centre and then held a peaceful sit down protest outside the Council House, blocking one of Bristol's main roads. Such demonstrations were taking place in hundreds of places through the UK, yet the (HUGE) march in London was reported as a sign that anti-war feeling is lessening. No! I was on the mass demo in London last month, and felt it important to bring this one to my home city. PLEASE...do not allow this massive popular outcry against this illegal, unwarranted war to go unreported.
Dr Tamsin Wilton, University of the West of England
These treacherous appeasers and apologists and often foreigners gladly excepting our hospitality demonstrating in London and other UK places recently, do not represent me or indeed anybody else I know - they are just a very noisy minority that get far to much media attention.
Gregory Simkins, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Dear Sir,
Its about time someone sorted out Sadam. These mealy mouthed left wingers opposed to war protest about any war justified or not.
Tony Ramsey
I do not follow this false morality being peddled by the media and politicians that we should 'get behind the troops' now we're at war. Why should I support any group of professional killers? Let's stop dressing this whole debacle as justified, moral or even 'neccesary' as it could have been prevented at any stage - but our great leaders decided that a few thousand dead Iraqi's was the cheaper option.
Gordon Young, Birmingham, UK.
Could you please question someone in authority about what will happen, if no weapon of mass destruction are being found. Will they say, 'sorry', or what?
Ulrike Rawson.
One child crying in fear is too many. Are there any of you reading this who have beloved children or grandchildren? Perhaps, even now in iraq? Why, now that the us and great britain are bombing the hell out of largely innocent people are the so-called opinion poles showing that we feel better about it now? Come on, human beings, would you like it if it was happening to you?
Megan Allan
What would happen if one of the target bombs blow up a palace which has the so called biological weapons hidden, would the blast destroy them or could they be air born? This is worring me.
Colleen Saunders
Yet again more British have been killed by Americans than by Iraqis, just who the hell are we fighting?
Ken Walters, West Lancashire
Emails from 18th March:
First of all I wish to highlight one important point:
Please don’t assume or take it granted that people supporting army men are supporting war. BOTH ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT. 'Propaganda' specialist Tony & his supporters must realise it.
Secondly, please don’t mention 'allied' forces... etc etc. To me it has meaning only if it involves France, German & all others. Britain & US can make it 'allied'. How arrogant still these two 'liers' say they represent world opinion?
To all those supporters of war who say ordinary people like me don’t have any idea about what actually Saddam is up to, I have a simple question to you. What about the 'No war' stance of two simple ordinary US I mean Clinton & Al Gore - Who had access to every intelligence for 8 years about Saddam & whom we all know are intelligent & experienced than the 'half baked mad' Bush.
Can anyone say what you are going to loose if these war criminal would have waited for 1 more month for UN inspectors to finish their target?
How funny these jokers 'break UN' to fulfil UN's commitment of disarming? Disarming or regime change? I wish after the war, along with Saddam, these 2 criminals also be tried under international war criminals for their killings (expect more than what Saddam killed).
R. Karl, Wembley
Given Britain's strong resolve to uphold the authority and credibility of the UN, would Britain be prepared to send troops to Palestine to force Israel to comply with countless UN security council resolutions since 1948?
There have been far many resolutions pertaining to Israel than Iraq, which have been pending for far longer than Iraq. Though never has Britain suggested going to war with Israel to uphold the crumbling authority of the UN.
Fouad Majdalawi
I would just like to say that I did not wake up this morning and start to support the war. I am horrified at the spin that now is trying to say that more people are now backing Blair. This is not the case, just because he thinks he is doing the best thing for us does not mean it is. I still do not support war no matter how much the news and the papers try to tell me I have changed my mind.
anon
I have mixed feelings on the war beacause Sasdam is a disgraceful man, but there will be innocent lives that will be wasted. I think Tony Blair and George Bush should give him one more chance and then attack and I am glad that the army will try to repair most of the damage. I also have another view, I think we are trying to make disarm the weapons and still atack him anyway to stop him from hurting anybody in his country. He is disgracefull because he uses his people so he can buy luxuries.
biff 12
I say lets get it on, It has been 12 years. The American people need to stand behind our President and troops. No one likes war, but if it where not for our men and women that gave there lives for us, we would not be doing what we what do, as we have freedom. I am a navy vet from Korean war. Peace protesters just undermined our men and women in the armed forces. Remember Pearl Harbour? Remember 9/11? Stand up for your country or get out.
Jim
I have never been compelled to make my views public over any issue before, no matter how strongly I've felt or over any issue that compromised my principles, but I have to make it known that at this very moment I am ashamed to be British.
The war on Iraq is morally wrong and without the second resolution required we can only be seen as the Terrorist and not the protector of terrorism.
As an ex-soldier (27 years service) I am disgusted with this course of action and feel that we, as a nation, will rue the day we took this course.
Yours extremely angry,
Chris Good
I am sorry to bother you, but the reason I am writing is I have a brother in the gulf at the moment, preparing to go to Iraq. He has been in Kuwait for about 6 weeks now, give or take, and I have received several 'Blueys' from him.
All of them saying how he doesn't have things out there that we all take for granted at home.
My family and I have recently sent him a parcel, where by we included things like, Toilet Rolls, Razors, Soap, Chocolate and sweets in general. They also don't have much to do when they are not on 'Guard Duty,' radios are scarce, but really their only way of any kind of entertainment as they can listen to 'BFBS Radio.'
My brother tries to call once a week, and has said that morale is low, and things are not to good out there, although he has said that they could be worse.
He has talked to his friends that are out there with him, and they are all hoping that something may come of this idea I have had, and support us 100 per cent, just as we support them. I know a little of what is going on, as I read the tabloids, and am constantly watching the news, and my Dad was in the army for 23 years, so I have grown up within this environment.
Alan Cox, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
I live peacefully in the Hebrides and I have a grandchild. I was a 'service wife' with an RAF husband flying in Northern Ireland in the early seventies. I lived in Iran during the fall of the Shah and its aftermath. I have many ties of blood and friendship to people living in Gulf and other Arab states.
I resent the way in which today's political spin has used the clear call of 'standing by our men going into battle' as though any further discussion would be traitorous to them and to our country. We are being asked to suspend all judgement. Rally now, because we're going anyway.
Into a war (created by the Bush administration) which will change the world for my grandchild. I am opposed to this for the most basic of all reasons. It will make the world a worse place for a seven-year-old.
Has Blair not noticed that the world is instantly made more hostile and 'terror' ridden? That British nationals are no longer safe from expressions of hatred of their country's policies? Please count me as a 'No' vote. As though it might make a difference!
Susie Barrett
Tony Blair has more guts than all his waverers and anti-war "pacifists" put together.
All the arguments about giving inspectors more time are made by either naive people or those with other agendas. Those who believe that Bush and Blair intend to bomb civilians recklessly will be proved wrong.
A quick war with an enemy that will not fight for their leader will ensue. The only possible resistance will be at Baghdad [obviously] and even there it will be done by a Republican Guard that will fight under threat of execution by those closest to Saddam.
The argument that oil is the reason for this war is true, only in a roundabout way. Oil is the reason for all trouble in the Middle East outside the Palestinian- Israeli dispute. However those who rant about oil never mention the fact that oil was Saddam's motive for trying to capture Iran and Kuwait. Who would they like to see control oil, Saddam or a liberal world?
The same people who go on marches with banners are akin to the pathetic souls who shouted down Churchill in the 30's. Dictators like Hitler and Saddam can only be beaten by those who stand up to them militarily. Anyone who thinks they can be removed otherwise is barmy. Twelve years is enough. Does anyone with any sense believe that the weapons and chemicals he holds are above ground? The whole country is covering a vast network of tunnels where Saddam will also disappear soon.
Saddam has been laughing at Schroder and Chirac and will despise them as they also deserve us to. They are cowards who have jumped on the anti-war bandwagon because they were deeply unpopular in their own countries. Putin will be quietly applauding us while he poses as a peacemonger. Iraq owes him too much money for him to join with us openly.
The Chinese will always vote against the west, no matter what. They all deserve to be ostracised by the USA. The UN is a weak institution as shown previously when they took no action in Africa when tribes were wiping each other out. I hope for Bush and Blair's sake that all goes their way and few civilians are killed and they are totally vindicated in their actions.
Paul Nicholson
I find it disheartening that a professional news programme like yours should give so much of your time to the anti-war opinion, and I feel that this blatant one-sided coverage by the media at large is singly responsible for the public's confusion and anger at this very difficult but necessary action.
I thought that the two-second image of a man brave enough to openly support Blair in the face of such vehement protest outside Westminster was encouraging, but then the rest of your 7 O' Clock show once again snubbed people like me and many of my friends by ignoring our honest belief that Saddam has to go.
I have never been overly impressed with politicians or their profession but Tony Blair has truly obtained my respect over the last few weeks in his dogged attempt to achieve international solidarity and face down a dictator has entirely succeeded in undermining the UN for more than a decade. Sadly, I think the world is about to see the weapons that Saddam certainly has
Katrina McClelland
I am one of the Millions of British people who supports Tony Blair in this desperate time, there may have been a million people around Britain whom demonstrated against this possible invasion of Iraq but they are only an minority and not the Majority of the British people. They don't represent the voice of BRITAIN , also those back bench Labour MP's should be ashamed of themselves and follow the example of the TORY'S and back this Government in this Hour of need. As for the French, they have a very very short memory, who was it who Liberated them from the Germans in world war II, who laid down thousands of lives so Europe could be Liberated. Yes America.
John Barbour (Dundee Scotland)
I am against this war, this is Bush's personal agenda. The only credit I give Blair is managing to restrain him (Bush) from earlier conflict.
They should also stop blaming the French, the only place where people are marching in support of their government.
Sue Reeve
I came to this country in 1989 to complete my study and have never been back home because of the regime in Iraq.
No Iraqi would disagree that Saddam's regime is an evil and nasty one. Both American, British and even the French governments new this fact and have had supported this regime to kill and torture Iraqi people.
The torture equipments are actually made in the UK and America. Besides, you know supplied the chemical.
I have met a member of my family recently who has been in Iraq during last Gulf war.
I began asking him about my relatives, he endlessly counted those who have been killed by the British and American air and missile attacks, in one house we had lost 14 people in one go.
The storey of those dirty bombs, which have left thousands of children suffering from all types of cancers, needs its own section.
I have heard in the news last night that the American intend to use in one day what is equivalent to all those bombs used during the last Gulf war.
I wonder what they will do this time and how many innocent children they will kill. They usually celebrate bombarding hospitals, bridges, water plants, all what people need.
I have good trust in channel 4, I am therefore sending you my views and storey:
I am very disappointed that the American have decided to attack and destroy Iraq again, the country I was borne in.
I said American because the British will follow blindly as usual. Why does the British government have to support the American in their crimes all the time, starting from Palestine and ending with Iraq now?
This is something I will never understand (the same thing has happened in the past with Mr major and Mrs Thatcher).
Can Mr Blair understand that by doing what he is doing he is actually asking the whole world to hate the British, as they did already with the American, just because of what their governments are doing. I now can understand that democracy in this country does not mean anything, because if it does, Mr Blair would have listened to the views of the majority of British people and politicians. I am against the war.
Taher
Our son is in a tank at the border with Iraq. He has only been in the army for 18 months and is only 19, but he has been well trained and is as prepared for this as is possible.
During the last Gulf War I was very critical of families on TV bemoaning the fact that their children and husbands were fighting a war that was nothing to do with them and I had the opinion that their children/husbands had made their choice to join the army and were now just having to do their jobs.
I still feel this even although it is now my oldest son who is there. This is his job, he is good at it and it has been good for him - that doesn't stop me from feeling very nervous and praying to anyone who will listen for his safety.
I also think that it is time for all the politics to stop. We elected Tony Blair to take the tough decisions for this country, if we don't like his decisions we will get an opportunity to vote him out at the next election -
but right now let's just accept that the decision has been made and offer all our support to our own troops and then to the Iraqi people when it comes to rebuilding.
Thank you for listening
Archie McInally
My husband has been in Kuwait for 5 weeks now and describes himself as being "as comfortable as can be expected" in his letters.
I think it depends on your attitude to serving in the army.
If you have the right attitude you realise that this is your job and its your responsibility to do it to the best of your ability - without complaining.
We all want our loved ones serving in the forces to return home safely, but with war looking almost definite, I'm sure we all want this to happen now so that its over and done with and we can get our families back together again.
Wife of a serviceman
I have just been watching your 7 o’clock news with Jon
Snow on Friday 14 March 2003. It was really nice to hear Channel 4 invite people who have any families in Iraq and live in the UK to write in.
I am an Iraq who has been here since 1984. I did my A-levels and university degree and post degree in this country and now I am British citizen. I live and work in London.
I am a civil engineer and work for an engineering consultancy in London.
My whole family is still back home in Baghdad. My mother, five sisters and one brother are all in Baghdad. My father passed away in Feb 2000.
I contact my family by phone every day. I call my mother, sisters and brother to check and hear their voices.
Over the past couple of months every day I talk to my mother over the phone, I pray that this is not the last time that I am able to hear her voice.
My mother and sisters are absolutely petrified. We are just a normal law abiding family, never been involved in any politics in Iraq or outside it.
It has been and still is heart-breaking for me to hear the fear and hopelessness in my mother's voice and the resignation that they can do nothing apart from sit at home and pray.
It feels to me if that they are praying for their end and it breaks my heart to pieces. My mother try not to cry over the phone when I talk to here, so not to upset me and spoil my day at work.
Despite the fact that she is living in fear for her life and her family.
To give my family some hope to live and keep going , I always talk to my mother about things we are going to do in a couple months when everything is over. I talk to her about how we are going to refurbish the house where she lives.
I always talk to her about my return to Iraq to be with her and the family. I also talk to her about the gifts that I will get her and the family from the UK.
I even take down and make a list of what they need from the UK which is mainly clothes, make-up perfumes. Things which they can not afford to buy in Iraq.
My mother is an intelligent woman and knows that what I say every day is comfort talk, but despite that she await for my call every day with huge anticipation.
She feels that I am only life-line for her and the family.
Very sorry for this long e-mail, but all I can say is thank you very much indeed for listening. This is the first time that I have been able to put my thoughts and fears in writing and tell someone.
I am very grateful for you to allow me to do that.
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