CBS NEWS POLL

Torture and Reaction to the Senate Intelligence Report

December 11-14, 2014
Q1. How much have you heard or read about the recent report by the Senate Intelligence Committee on
the detention and interrogation program used by the CIA in the years after the September 11, 2001
terrorist attacks?

A lot
Some
Not much
Nothing at all
Don't know/No answer

** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **
Total Rep
Dem Ind
%
%
%
%
30
33
25
32
33
32
33
34
31
29
35
29
5
5
6
3
1
1
*

Q2. From what you have heard or read, do you think the Senate Intelligence Committees report on the
detention and interrogation program used by the CIA is a fair representation of what occurred, or did it
leave important things out, or dont you know enough to say?
Fair representation
Left important things out
Don't know enough to say
Don't know/No answer

12

12
24
61
3

13
30
55
4

10
19
64
4

26
61
3

Q3. When it comes to how prisoners were being treated in the CIAs detention and interrogation program,
do you think the CIA was telling the truth to the President and Congress, mostly telling the truth but hiding
something, or mostly lying?
Telling the truth
Mostly telling truth, hiding something
Mostly lying
17
Don't know/No answer

18
44
12
21

31
41
20
15

12
51
17
17

15
41
27

Q3a. Do you think the public release of information about the CIA detention and interrogation program
poses a threat to the security of the U.S., or dont you think its release will have an impact on U.S.
security?
Threat to U.S. security
No impact on U.S. security
Don't know/No answer

52
33
15

64
24
12

40
45
15

55
28
17

Q3b. Do you think it is sometimes justified to use water boarding and other aggressive interrogation tactics
to get information from a suspected terrorist, or are these tactics never justified?

Justified
Not justified
Depends
(vol.)
Don't know/No answer

36

49
19
4
10

73
54
4
5

32
32
4
10

50
4
13

Nov11b
%
45
40
6
9

Q3c. Do you think the use of water boarding and other aggressive interrogation tactics are still being used
by the CIA to get information from suspected terrorists, or do you think these tactics are no longer being
used by the CIA?

Still being used

No longer used
Were never used
(vol.)
Don't know/No answer

** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **
Total Rep
Dem Ind
%
%
%
%
57
57
63
53
20
22
19
20
1
1
1
1
22
20
18
26

Q4. In a procedure known as waterboarding, interrogators produce the sensation of drowning in a

restrained prisoner either by dunking him in water or pouring water over his face. Do you consider this
procedure a form of torture, or not?

Torture
Not torture
Don't/no answer

69
26

51
45
5

83
13
4

67
26
3

Apr09b
%
71
26

Q5. Do you consider forcing a prisoner to stay awake for up to 180 hours to be a form of torture, or not?
Torture
Not torture
Don't/no answer

70
27

50
46
4

86
12
4

68
27
2

Q6. Do you consider forcing a prisoner to take an ice water bath to be a form of torture, or not?
Torture
Not torture
Don't/no answer

57
39

39
57
4

76
21
3

53
42
3

Q7. Do you consider threatening to sexually abuse a prisoners mother to be a form of torture, or not?
Torture
Not torture
Don't/no answer

73
23
4

63
33
4

87
13
1

68
24
7

Q9. How often do you think the use of water boarding and other aggressive interrogation tactics provide
reliable information that helps prevent terrorist attacks -- often, sometimes, rarely or never?
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Don't know/No answer

23
34
24
8

35
35
16
5
11

13
36
30
12
10

24
33
23
7
9

14

Q11. Do you think suspected terrorists being detained by the U.S. should have the same legal rights as
other individuals who are suspected of a crime, or should they not have the same legal rights?
** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **
Total Rep
Dem Ind
%
%
%
%
34
18
47
32
56
79
41
56
3
2
3
4
7
2
9
8

Same legal rights

Not same legal rights
Depends
(vol.)
Don't know/No answer

Total Respondents
Total Republicans
Total Democrats
Total Independents

Unweighted Weighted
1,003
257
310
436

224
321
458