Sixty-six percent of people surveyed in a recent opinion poll support U.S. military retaliation for the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

According to the Kyodo News poll, results of which were released Wednesday, 17 percent fully support striking back, while 49 percent support it to a certain extent.

The nationwide poll, conducted over the weekend, shows 23 percent are not so supportive of military retaliation, while 9 percent vehemently oppose it.

Support is higher among men, at 76 percent, than women, at 56 percent. When asked how U.S. military forces should be supported in such an operation, 52 percent said that Japan should provide medical assistance and refugee aid, while another 19 percent said Japan could help transport supplies and with refueling.

In contrast, 9 percent said Japan should "help with the transport and replenishment of arms and ammunition," and 8 percent said Japan's role should include military action, indicating that a majority of the public has reservations about activities that may involve the use of force.

However, nearly half of those surveyed -- 49 percent -- said they are open to the idea of changing the interpretation of the war-renouncing Constitution if it is necessary to allow the Self-Defense Forces to fully support the U.S.

The poll also shows that respondents who support the ruling coalition are generally positive toward the idea of retaliation -- 75 percent of Liberal Democratic Party supporters said they support U.S. attacks. In contrast, 65 percent of supporters of the Japanese Communist Party and 49 percent of Social Democratic Party backers said they do not support retaliation.