Interfax: Most Russians opposed to Libya-style intervention in Syria – poll

Syria Map

(Interfax – October 2, 2013) Over half of polled Russians (59 per cent) are against an international military operation in Syria similar to the one that was carried out in Libya, the Russian news agency Interfax reported on 2 October, quoting an opinion poll carried out by the independent pollster Levada Centre amongst 1,601 Russian adults between 20 and 24 September. (1)

Asked whether they would “support an international military operation in Syria similar to the one that was carried out in Libya a year ago with the aim of protecting civilians”, 30 per cent of respondents chose the answer “likely not” and 29 per cent indicated “certainly not” (22 per cent responded “likely not” and 18 per cent, “certainly not” back in June).

Meanwhile, 16 per cent (3 per cent indicated “certainly yes” and 13 per cent, “likely yes”) supported such intervention (4 per cent responded “certainly yes” and 18 per cent, “likely yes” in June) while 25 per cent indicated that it was difficult for them to answer the question (38 per cent in June).

Over three-thirds of Russians (73 per cent) indicated that they had heard about the latest events in Syria to some extent with 16 per cent stating that they were carefully observing the situation there, the poll said.

According to the poll, those who sympathized with President Bashar al-Asad’s government increased from 19 per cent in June to 34 per cent in September while those who supported the rebels increased from 7 to 8 per cent. At the same time, the number of people who sympathized with neither of the sides in the conflict decreased from 51 to 46 per cent.

Almost an equal number of Russians believe that Syria is experiencing a civil war (39 per cent) and that “terrorists incited by the West are carrying out a bloody struggle against the lawful government” (38 per cent), the poll further said. Meanwhile, 7 per cent of respondents indicated that al-Asad was engaged in “bloody violence against his opponents” and 17 per cent failed to make an assessment.

Furthermore, a fifth of those polled (20 per cent) predicted that the USA and its allies will intervene in the conflict in Syria whereas 15 per cent of respondents expected the continuation of civil war in the country and about the same number of people (14 per cent) indicated that the sides will reach a compromise under the international community’s assistance. Meanwhile, 9 per cent believe that the government will defeat the opposition, 1 per cent that the opposition will win, 22 per cent failed to make an assessment and 27 per cent indicated that they “do not know anything about this”.

Answering a question on how Russia should respond to the Syrian crisis, 37 per cent of respondents said that Russia should support the country’s current leadership “as Russia’s historical ally” in opposition to the West (the figure was 21 per cent in June).

About a third of respondents (31 per cent) believe that Russia should support “neither the Syrian leadership nor the West” but “attempt to profit from their conflict”, 8 per cent indicated that Russia should support “the West’s activities against the current Syrian government in connection with human rights violations” (11 per cent in June) and 24 per cent (34 per cent in June) failed to respond to the question.

In case there is military action, 17 per cent of respondents believe that Russia should support the Syrian government; 3 per cent, the USA and its allies; 14 per cent suggest that Russia “oscillate between the sides in the conflict in its own interests”; 33 per cent, that Russia “act as a mediator in efforts to reach peaceful settlement”; and 22 per cent, that Russia “refrain from intervention and stay away from this conflict”.

(1) http://www.levada.ru/01-10-2013/rossiyane-o-situatsii-v-sirii

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