--- title: "U.S. aid to Syrian rebels: Public has opposed American involvement in the past" description: "Public opinion surveys have consistently shown Americans to have little interest in the Syrian conflict and have been opposed -- or lukewarm, at best, -- to getting involved." date: "2013-06-14" authors: - name: "Bruce Drake" job_title: "Former Senior Editor" link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/bruce-drake/" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/06/14/u-s-aid-to-syrian-rebels-public-has-opposed-american-involvement-in-the-past/" categories: - "International Affairs" - "News Media Trends" - "War & International Conflict" - "War & International Conflict" --- # U.S. aid to Syrian rebels: Public has opposed American involvement in the past While the Obama administration has been [criticized by Republican Sen. John McCain](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/27/exclusive-john-mccain-slips-across-border-into-syria-meets-with-rebels.html) and other advocates of a more assertive U.S. role in aiding the rebels in Syria, public opinion surveys have consistently shown Americans to have little interest in the conflict and have been opposed -- or lukewarm, at best, -- to getting involved in the conflict. [![FT_Syria_Involved](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2013/06/FT_Syria_Involved.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2012/12/14/public-says-u-s-does-not-have-responsibility-to-act-in-syria/) Big majorities of the U.S. public (as well as the publics of many countries in the Mideast) have opposed the idea of the U.S. sending weapons to the rebels -- something that [President Obama this week decided to do](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/14/world/middleeast/syria-chemical-weapons.html?hp) after his administration concluded that the Syrian government [had crossed a "red line"](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22902300) by using chemical weapons against its opposition. In a [survey conducted last December](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2012/12/14/public-says-u-s-does-not-have-responsibility-to-act-in-syria/), 65% of Americans opposed the U.S. and its allies sending arms to anti-government groups in Syria, about the same number as held that view the previous March. About an equal number (63%) of Americans said the U.S. did not have a responsibility to get involved in the Syrian conflict. Those surveys were conducted before the specter of chemical weapons use by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad came into the spotlight. But in a [Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/04/29/modest-support-for-military-force-if-syria-used-chemical-weapons/) conducted in late April, after claims of chemical weapons use had been in the news, the findings showed only a modest willingness on the part of Americans to take action. A plurality (45%) said they would favor military action against Syria if it was confirmed that chemical weapons had been used, while 31% opposed doing so. A [Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll](http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/poll06052013.pdf), conducted May 30-June 2, framed the question of involvement this way: "Syrian civilians have been killed by their government in response to protests and civil unrest" and asked those surveyed to choose among a series of actions that U.S. might take. Just 11% supported providing arms to the opposition and 15% backed taking military action to stop the killing. About four-in-ten (42%) said humanitarian assistance should be provided and 24% said no action should be taken at all. As for the general proposition of involvement, a survey by the [New York Times/CBS News](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/06/06/us/nyt-cbs-poll-results.html?ref=world) (May 31-June 4) -- like the Pew Research polls -- found more than six-in-ten Americans saying the U.S. did not have a responsibility to intervene in Syria. A [Fox News survey](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/22/fox-news-poll-voters-say-us-should-not-intervene-in-syria/) (May 18-20) found that 68% agreed with the statement "The U.S. should NOT do more in Syria because it's a civil war that's a no-win situation for the U.S., and we could actually end up helping anti-American extremist groups." [![FT_US_Europe2](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2013/06/FT_US_Europe2.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2013/05/01/widespread-middle-east-fears-that-syrian-violence-will-spread/#oppose-arms) A [Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2013/05/01/widespread-middle-east-fears-that-syrian-violence-will-spread/#oppose-arms) conducted in March also found opposition abroad to the U.S. or allies sending arms to the Syrian rebels. In Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt and the Palestinian territories, roughly six-in-ten or more opposed western countries sending arms and military supplies to anti-government groups in Syria. The only support for such aid came in Jordan where 53% backed military help for the rebels from the West. Similarly, majorities in France (69%), Britain (57%), Turkey (65%) and Germany (82%) -- like the U.S. public -- opposed their own countries sending arms and military supplies to the rebels.