Issue Watch
Track global public opinion on current issues.
- 2008: Race for the White House
- 2008: The U.S. Electoral College
- Abortion
- Africa
- Angela Merkel
- Death Penalty
- Economy and Globalization
- Environment
- European Union
- George W. Bush
- Global Warming
- Gordon Brown
- Hamas
- Immigration
- Iran
- Iraq War
- Kevin Rudd
- Latin America
- New Zealand Election 2008
- Nicolas Sarkozy
- North Korea
- Oil and Gas
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Silvio Berlusconi
- Stem Cell Research
- Stephen Harper
- Terrorism
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Democrats
- U.S. Election 2008 - The Republicans
- U.S. Election 2008: The Primaries
- Vladimir Putin
- Yasuo Fukuda
Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Iraq War Damaged U.S. Reputation, Say Americans
- Many adults in the United States believe the coalition effort has negatively affected their country, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 76 per cent of respondents think the war with Iraq has damaged the image of the U.S. in the rest of the world.
In addition, 47 per cent of respondents think the conflict has actually helped improve the lives of the Iraqi people, while 48 per cent disagree.
The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 2,803 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 21,000 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.
Yesterday, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the situation in Iraq. saying, "The ultimate victory in Iraq, which is a government that can sustain itself, govern itself, and defend itself, depends upon the Iraqi citizens and the Iraqi government doing the hard work necessary to protect their country. And our job is to help them achieve that objective. As a matter of fact, my view is the only way we lose in Iraq is if we leave before the job is done." 50 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. will avoid the same kind of involvement in Iraq as it had in the Vietnam War.
Polling Data
Do you think the war with Iraq has or has not...?
Has | Has not | Not sure | |
Damaged the United States' | 76% | 22% | 1% |
Helped to improve the lives | 47% | 48% | 5% |
Do you think the United States is heading for the same kind of involvement in Iraq as it had in the Vietnam War, or do you think the United States will avoid that kind of involvement this time?
Oct. 2006 | Jun. 2005 | |
Another Vietnam | 40% | 42% |
Will avoid that | 50% | 52% |
Already in it | 5% | 3% |
No opinion | 4% | 3% |
Source: TNS / Washington Post / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,200 American adults, conducted from Oct. 19 to Oct. 22, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.