Israel Matzav

Poll: 63% of Iranians want to pursue nukes despite sanctions

Let's just say that I have my doubts about this survey, because given the lack of freedom, I don't believe it's possible to take an accurate survey in Iran. But a Gallup poll is reporting that 63% of Iranians support continuing the country's pursuit of nuclear development despite the sanctions with which it lives.

Asked whether or not Iran should continue to develop its nuclear power capabilities, 63 percent of Iranian adults responded in the affirmative, while only 17% said the country should stop. 19% either refused to answer or responded that they did not know.

The data is particularly striking considering that most Iranians believe that sanctions are indeed greatly affecting the livelihoods of ordinary citizens.

According to the survey, conducted from December 2012 to January 2013, 56% of respondents said sanctions had hurt Iranians "a great deal," 29% answered "somewhat," while only 10% answered "not at all" (5% did not know or refused to answer.)

Furthermore, 31% of Iranians rated their lives poorly enough to be considered "suffering" - a rate on par with war-torn countries such as Afghanistan (33%) and higher than Iraq (29%) and Yemen (23%.).

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With a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points, the poll also indicated that a plurality of Iranians blame the United States for the sanctions. 47% of respondents said Washington is "most responsible" for the sanctions, while only 10% blamed the Iranian regime. 9% blamed Israel.

The results of the poll, which was based on telephone interviews with 1,000 adults, aged 15 and older, indicate that sanctions are not having the intended effect of pressuring Iranians to demand a change in policy vis-à-vis the country's nuclear program.

 It has always been said that pursuit of a nuclear capability is a matter of pride for Iranians. But most Iranians don't believe that their country is pursuing nuclear weapons, and would not support the pursuit of nuclear weapons. And the West is refusing to disclose the evidence it has that the Iranian regime really is after nuclear weapons.

Moreover, again, it is difficult to believe that any poll taken in a repressive regime like Iran's is accurate.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Iran sanctions regime, Iranian nuclear program

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:49 AM