Doubts Inexplicably Remain
Snippet #2, also from today’s Guardian:
“British public support for the war against the Taliban has dropped by 12 points in the past fortnight and a majority now believe there should be a pause in the bombing to allow aid convoys into Afghanistan.
“The sharp drop in support revealed by today’s Guardian/ICM poll confirms Tony Blair’s fears that the reality of modern warfare and reports of mounting civilian casualties have already led to a wobble in British support.
“It provides clear evidence that there has been a significant change in the mood of the country towards the war and explains why ministers have spent the last weekend trying to shore up public opinion and why the prime minister is to appeal to the nation to “keep its nerve” in a major speech today.
“Although the prime minister will take comfort from the fact that nearly two-thirds say they approve of military action, the prime minister will be alarmed by details of the survey, which show that support among women has slumped by 17 points from 68% to 51%. Only a bare majority of women now approve of military action against the Taliban. …”
Channel Four News took a group of “doubters” into their studio tonight and showed them clips of Mr Blair’s historic address. But even after listening to their leader, doubts inexplicably remained.