Polling data shows that Americans support the interrogation methods employed by the CIA on suspected terrorists, and that support remains strong following the release of a controversial report by the Senate that detailed those methods.
Resurgent Republic reports that multiple recent polls show that public support for enhanced interrogation is consistent with the level it was at in 2009.
In the past week the Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey, the ABC News/Washington Post survey, and the Pew Research Center survey have all shown substantial public support for the CIA's interrogation methods of suspected terrorists. That consistency seems to be surprising for a number of people in light of the graphic detail contained in the Senate Democrats' Intelligence Committee report.
The results should not be surprising. In May of 2009, Resurgent Republic conducted a detailed survey on the CIA's techniques, including strong arguments supporting and opposing harsh interrogation. The results five years ago are remarkably similar to those being reported today.
By a margin of 53 to 34 percent, voters in that survey initially thought that harsh interrogation of detainees was justified. After a graphic description of particular techniques, support increased to 56 to 36 percent. By 52 to 39 percent, voters believed harsh interrogation techniques had made the country safer. And by 55 to 39 percent, they thought harsh interrogation was effective in saving American lives.
Sixty-one percent of respondents supported the statement that enhanced interrogation "techniques are justified when they are the only way to stop the murder of another 3,000 innocent Americans in another 9/11" over the statement that "America should never use harsh interrogation techniques on detainees, because they are torture."