(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Two-thirds of adults in Britain want their government to end its military deployment in Afghanistan, according to a poll by ICM Research released by the BBC. 68 per cent of respondents think Britain should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within the next 12 months.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Two-thirds of adults in Britain want their government to end its military deployment in Afghanistan, according to a poll by ICM Research released by the BBC. 68 per cent of respondents think Britain should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within the next 12 months.
Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.
Britain committed troops to both the war on terrorism in Afghanistan and the coalition effort in Iraq. At least 1,003 soldiers—including 124 Britons—have died in the conflict, either in support of the United States-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
On Nov. 11, British defence secretary John Hutton discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "2008 has been a tough year for UK forces and coalition forces. And with national elections in 2009, the coming 12 months are likely to be equally as tough. It is going to test the resolve of the international community. (…) No one can say that the UK is not pulling our weight in the international coalition. We expect others to do the same."
Polling Data
Do you think that Britain should or should not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within the next 12 months?
|
Should |
68% |
|
Should not |
24% |
|
Not sure |
8% |
Source: ICM Research / BBC
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,013 British adults, conducted from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, 2008. No margin of error was provided.
