Respondents side with the notion of holding this particular trial in a military tribunal instead of a federal court.
Over two thirds of people in the United States want a group of Guantanamo prisoners allegedly involved in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to face the death penalty if convicted for their crimes, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
Five men who have been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba—including alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—are now expected to face trial in a New York City federal court for their alleged involvement in the terrorist attacks.
In the online survey of a representative sample of 1,006 American adults, 69 per cent of respondents say that, if the five men are found guilty, they should all be sentenced to death. Conversely, just over a fifth of Americans (22%) would agree with a sentence of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole.
Americans hold dissimilar views on the way the legal process should actually be conducted. While 44 per cent of respondents believe this trial should take place before a military tribunal, 32 per cent agree with a federal court hearing this case.
Party Allegiance
Republicans (55%) and Independents (51%) are more likely than Democrats (35%) to prefer a military tribunals over a trial in a federal court on this particular case. GOP voters (78%) are also particularly supportive of a sentence calling for those accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks, compared to Independents (68%), and Democrats (65%).
Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
CONTACT:
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+604 647 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
