A MAJORITY (52%) OF CANADIANS SUPPORT PRESIDENT BUSH IN APPROVING CIA OPERATION TO REMOVE IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN

Toronto, ONTARIO - According to a new Ipsos-Reid/CTV/Globe and Mail poll released today, a majority (52%) of Canadians support American President George W. Bush in giving permission to the CIA for covert operations to topple or to capture Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, (with lethal force if armed resistance is encountered). However, a significant minority (42%) indicate that they disapprove of this move. Interestingly, approximately the same proportion of Canadians strongly support (26%) this operation as strongly oppose (25%) it.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/CTV/Globe and Mail poll conducted between June 18th and June 20th, 2002. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 1,000 adult Canadians. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

A majority (52%) of Canadians express support for American President George W. Bush in giving permission for CIA covert operations to topple or capture Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, with lethal force if armed resistance is encountered. However, a significant minority (42%) indicate that they disapprove of this move. Interestingly, approximately the same proportion of Canadians strongly support (26%) this operation as strongly oppose (25%) it.

• Support of the American Presidents move is strongest in Alberta (62%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (58%). Lower support is recorded among residents of Atlantic Canada (54%), Ontario (51%), British Columbia (50%) and Quebec (48%).
• Younger (57%) and middle aged (54%) Canadians are also more likely to express support for this move than older (42%) Canadians.
• Canadians with a high school or less education (57%) or a post-secondary education (54%) are more likely than those with a university degree (43%) to indicate support for President Bush's clearance for this CIA mission.
• Women (52%) and men (51%) are equally as likely to indicate support for this move.
• There is no statistical difference in support among household income groups.

To view the release and detailed tables, please open the attached PDF files.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900