(07/28/08) -

Britons Regret Military Engagement in Iraq

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The vast majority of people in Britain believe their country should have never committed troops to the war in Iraq, according to a poll by Communicate Research published in The Independent. 66 per cent of respondents share this view, and 74 per cent think British troops should be called back from Iraq as soon as possible.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The vast majority of people in Britain believe their country should have never committed troops to the war in Iraq, according to a poll by Communicate Research published in The Independent. 66 per cent of respondents share this view, and 74 per cent think British troops should be called back from Iraq as soon as possible.

During the tenure of British prime minister Tony Blair, Britain committed troops to both the war on terrorism in Afghanistan and the United States-led coalition effort in Iraq. The conflict against Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq was launched in March 2003. At least 4,439 soldiers have died during the military operation in Iraq, including 176 Britons.

On Jul. 22, British prime minister Gordon Brown said that Iraqi forces will take control of Basra—where there is a heavy presence of British soldiers—by the end of 2008, but warned that the soldiers leaving that area will not go home, but instead will be transferred to somewhere else in Iraq. Brown said Britain will keep 4,100 soldiers in Iraq, adding, "Of course, future decisions will be based—as I have always said—on the advice of our military commanders on the ground. But just as last year we moved from combat to ‘overwatch’, we would expect a further fundamental change of mission in the first months of 2009."

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Source: Communicate Research / The Independent
Methodology: Interviews with 1,016 British adults, conducted on Jul. 16 and Jul. 17, 2008. No margin of error was provided.