(10/22/10) -

Just Over a Third of Canadians Support the Mission in Afghanistan

Public support for Canada’s engagement in Afghanistan has hit a low point, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

Practically half of Quebecers “strongly oppose” the military operation.

Public support for Canada’s engagement in Afghanistan has hit a low point, a new Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,009 Canadian adults, just over a third of respondents (35%, -4 since August) support the military operation involving Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan—the lowest level recorded over the past two years. More than half of respondents (55%, +2) oppose the war.

The Mission

The level of “strong opposition” to the war outranks the level of “strong support” by a 3-to-1 margin (34% to 11%). Practically half of Quebecers (49%) say they “strongly oppose” the operation.

Almost half of Canadians (47%, -4) think Canada made a mistake in sending military forces to Afghanistan, while one third (32%, -6) believe it was the right thing to do. The only area where a plurality of respondents stands by Canada’s decision is Alberta (43% to 38%). Across the country, 53 per cent of respondents feel that they have a clear idea of what the war in Afghanistan is all about.

When the War is Over

There was little fluctuation on the question related to the outcome of the war. More than a quarter of respondents (27%) expect to see a negotiated settlement from a position of U.S. and NATO strength that gives the Taliban a small role in the Afghan government.

Only six per cent foresee a clear victory by U.S. and NATO forces over the Taliban, 15 per cent believe that the Taliban will play a significant role in Afghanistan after the war is over, and the same proportion (15%) think that U.S. and NATO forces will ultimately be defeated.

Obama’s Plan

Three-in-ten Canadians (31%, -1) continue to express confidence in the Obama Administration being able to “finish the job” in Afghanistan. It is important to note that the level of confidence in the way the U.S. government will deal with the conflict is much higher in Quebec (33%) than in Western Canada (23% or less).

The Media and the Government

Around half of Canadians (47%, -1) say that the national media has provided the right amount of information about the Afghan mission. For a quarter of respondents (25%, -3), the media is paying too little attention to Afghanistan.

A majority of Canadians (55%, -2) claim that the federal government has provided too little information about the conflict, while one-in-four (25%, -1) say the amount of information has been appropriate.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From October 13 to October 14, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,009 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.