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WASHINGTON (AP) — As the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001 approaches, Americans are increasingly wary of intrusive government surveillance in the name of national security, and only a third believe the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are worth fighting, according to a new poll.
More Americans find the threat of domestic extremism more worrisome than extremism abroad, according to the survey.
A survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that support for surveillance tools aimed at monitoring conversations taking place abroad, once seen as vital to the fight against attacks, has dwindled in the past decade. This is despite international threats making the headlines again after the chaotic end of the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
Notably, 46% of Americans say they oppose the US government, which responds to threats to the nation by reading unauthorized emails between people outside the US for the purpose of gathering foreign intelligence, as permitted by law. This compares to only 27% who were in favour. In an AP-NORC survey carried out a decade ago, 47% to 30% more favor than opposition to the practice.
The new survey was conducted on August 12-16 as the Taliban quickly moved towards a takeover of the country. Since then, members of the Islamic State of Afghanistan have carried out a suicide attack that killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 US soldiers, and experts have warned of the possibility of a resurgence of foreign militant groups as the US ceases to exist.
In a marked turn from the early years after 9/11, when Americans were more tolerant of government monitoring of communications in defense of the homeland, the survey found bilateral concerns about the scope of surveillance and expanding intelligence-gathering tools. It is at the disposal of the US authorities.
The expansion of government eavesdropping powers over the past 20 years has coincided with a similar growth in surveillance technology in every corner of American society, including traffic cameras, smart TVs, and other devices that contribute to an almost universal sense of being watched.
Gary Kieffer, an 80-year-old retired New Yorker, said he was worried about the government’s powers.
“At what point does this work against the population in general rather than trying to weed out potential saboteurs?” asked Kieffer, a registered Democrat. “At what point will there be a danger to the public instead of rescuing them or keeping them safer?”
“I feel like you might need some degree,” Kieffer said. But he added: “Who will decide how far you go to keep the country safe?”
Eric McWilliams, a 59-year-old Democrat from Whitehall, Pennsylvania, said he sees surveillance as important to keeping Americans safe.
“I wasn’t for torture, so they did it outside the country. I wasn’t for that,” McWilliams said, referring to the harsh interrogation techniques used by the CIA to interrogate suspects. “But when it comes to surveillance, you have to watch them – or we’ll die.”
Americans also oppose government eavesdropping on calls outside the US without a warrant, such as 44% to 28%. The other 27% have no opinion.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans remain opposed to the possibility that the U.S. government monitors phone calls, emails, and text messages within the U.S. While the National Security Agency is focused on surveillance abroad, it has the ability to collect communications. Because Americans are in contact with someone from outside the country who is the target of government surveillance.
About half, including US citizens, oppose government monitoring of internet searches without a warrant. About a quarter oppose and 2 out of 10 people have no opinion at all. About half supported the app a decade ago.
The ambivalence over government surveillance practices came about last year when the Senate was one vote short of passing a proposal to prevent federal law enforcement from obtaining browsing information or search history without seeking a warrant. Also last year, Democrats withdrew from the House floor bill to expand some oversight powers after then-President Donald Trump and Republicans opposed the measure and secured defeat.
Despite general surveillance concerns, six in 10 Americans support the installation of surveillance cameras in public places to monitor for potentially suspicious activity – although slightly fewer support random searches such as full-body scans for people boarding commercial flights in the US. and supports ethnicities Profiling to decide who should do more rigorous screening at airports where security has been strengthened in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
About 7 in 10 Black Americans and Asian Americans oppose racial profiling at airports, compared to 6 out of 10 white Americans.
As the US ends the twenty-year war in Afghanistan this summer, most Americans, about 6 in 10, say the conflict—along with the war in Iraq—is not worth fighting for. Republicans are more inclined to say wars are worth fighting.
When it comes to threats to the homeland, Americans are more concerned with US-based extremists than with international groups. FBI Director Chris Wray said domestic terrorism exhibited during the January 6 uprising at the US Capitol had “metastasized” and the number of arrests of racist extremists was increasing rapidly.
According to the survey, nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are overly or very concerned about the threat from extremist groups within the United States.
While Republicans and Democrats generally agree on their concerns about international extremism, the poll shows that Democrats are 75% to 57% more likely than Republicans to be concerned about the domestic threat.
On other key national security issues, nearly half of Republicans and Democrats are concerned about North Korea’s nuclear program, and 7 out of 10 say the same about the threat of cyberattacks. The majority of Republicans and Democrats believe that the spread of misinformation is an extremely or very worrisome threat to the United States, but Democrats are slightly more likely to say so.
But on other issues there is a much larger partisan divide. For example, Democrats are much more concerned about climate change than Republicans, 83% versus 21%. But Republicans are much more concerned about illegal immigration than Democrats, with a 73% to 21% margin.
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