Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Americans Remain Upset with Iraq War

September 25, 2006
Abstract: - Many adults in the United States believe their government was wrong in launching the coalition effort, according to a poll by Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times. 55 per cent of respondents believe the situation in Iraq was not worth going to war over.

- Many adults in the United States believe their government was wrong in launching the coalition effort, according to a poll by Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times. 55 per cent of respondents believe the situation in Iraq was not worth going to war over.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 2,695 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 20,300 troops have been wounded in action.

In December 2005, Iraqi voters renewed their National Assembly. In May, Shiite United Iraqi Alliance member Nouri al-Maliki officially took over as prime minister.

In his Sept. 23 radio address, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "In my meeting with (Iraqi president Jalal) Talabani, I told him that America will continue to support Iraq's democratic government as it makes the tough decisions necessary to bring security and prosperity to the Iraqi people. (...) America will not abandon the Iraqi people in their struggle to defeat the terrorists and build a free society in the heart of the Middle East." 63 per cent of respondents believe neither side is winning the war in Iraq.

Polling Data

All in all, do you think the situation in Iraq was worth going to war over, or not?

Sept. 2006

Jun. 2006

Apr. 2006

Worth

40%

41%

38%

Not worth

55%

54%

58%

Not sure

5%

5%

4%

So far, do you think the U.S. is winning the war in Iraq, or do you think the anti-U.S. insurgents in Iraq are winning the war, or is neither side winning the war in Iraq?

U.S. winning

22%

Insurgents in Iraq winning

11%

Neither side winning

63%

Don't know

4%

Source: Bloomberg / Los Angeles Times
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,517 American adults, conducted from Sept. 16 to Sept. 19, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.