Poll Results: Drone Strikes

November 01, 2013, 6:18 PM GMT+0

These are the topline results of a YouGov/Huffington Post survey of 1000 US adults interviewed October 30-31, 2013 on US drone strikes. The results show that Americans are divided on whether drone strikes help or harm US interests abroad, but agree that it does more harm than good if there is collateral damage. The margin of error is 4.9%.

Click here to see full tables and demographic crossbreaks

Say that a drone strike kills a high-level al-Qaeda leader in Pakistan. No civilians are killed but buildings are destroyed and the strike can be felt for miles. Would you say that strike is more likely to help or harm U.S. interests abroad?
More likely to help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27%
Most likely to neither help nor hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22%
More likely to hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24%

Say that a drone strike kills a low-level al-Qaeda operative in Pakistan. No civilians are killed but buildings are destroyed and the strike can be felt for miles. Would you say that strike is more likely to help or harm U.S. interests abroad?
More likely to help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%
Most likely to neither help nor hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27%
More likely to hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21%

Say that a drone strike kills a high-level al-Qaeda leader in Pakistan but also kills innocent civilians Would you say that strike is more likely to help or harm U.S. interests abroad?
More likely to help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%
Most likely to neither help nor hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14%
More likely to hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15%

Say that a drone strike kills a low-level al-Qaeda operative in Pakistan but also kills innocent civilians Would you say that strike is more likely to help or harm U.S. interests abroad?
More likely to help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7%
Most likely to neither help nor hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13%
More likely to hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67%
Not sure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14%