(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in the United States are still under the impression that their country is facing a major challenge in Afghanistan, according to a poll by the New York Times and CBS News. 55 per cent of respondents say the war is going badly for the U.S, up two points since April.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in the United States are still under the impression that their country is facing a major challenge in Afghanistan, according to a poll by the New York Times and CBS News. 55 per cent of respondents say the war is going badly for the U.S, up two points since April.
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 without evidence of his participation 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.
At least 1,194 soldiers—including 713 Americans—have died in the war on terrorism, either in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). More than 3,000 American soldiers have been wounded in action.
Earlier this month, U.S. national security adviser James L. Jones said that no more American soldiers will be deployed to Afghanistan after a recent surge of 21,000 troops, declaring, "This [war] will not be won by the military alone. We tried that for six years. (…) The piece of the strategy that has to work in the next year is economic development. If that is not done right, there are not enough troops in the world to succeed."
Polling Data
What is your impression of how the war in Afghanistan is going for the United States right now?
|
|
Jun. 2009 |
Apr. 2009 |
Dec. 2008 |
|
Very well |
2% |
1% |
2% |
|
Somewhat well |
28% |
37% |
25% |
|
Somewhat badly |
40% |
40% |
44% |
|
Very badly |
15% |
13% |
18% |
|
Not sure |
15% |
9% |
11% |
Source: New York Times / CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 895 American adults, conducted from Jun. 12 to Jun. 16, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
