Americans approve of ethnic profiling: poll

A majority of Americans approve of ethnic profiling at airports and subways to prevent terrorist attacks, a new poll has revealed.

The poll conducted by Quinnipiac University found 60 per cent of respondents believe that authorities should be allowed to single out people who look like 'Middle Eastern' for security screening.

Only 37 per cent opposed it in the poll, which has a margin of error of plus/minus three per cent. As many 68 per cent of men supported and 37 per cent opposed profiling while in the case of women the respective numbers were 52 per cent and 42 per cent.

The poll, released on Tuesday, found that 56 per cent believe that historians will consider September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks 'more significant' than December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.

A total of 62 per cent of Americans are 'very worried' or 'somewhat worried' that there will be another terrorist attack on the US in the next few months, while 37

per cent are 'not too worried' or 'not worried at all,' the independent Quinnipiac University poll found.

But only 27 per cent of Americans have changed their lives as a result of the threat of terrorism, while 72 per cent go about their life as usual.

"The start of America's role in World War II pales next to what many call the start of World War III," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Nearly 53 to 39 per cent, Americans disapproved of the job President George Bush is doing. A break up shows that Americans disapprove of his handling of war on terror overseas by 54 to 40 per cent but approve of his policies to prevent terrorism in US by 53 to 42 per cent.