Polls & Research

American Majority Says Iraq War Pointless

- Many adults in the United States regret their federal government's decision to launch the coalition effort, according to a poll by Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times. 54 per cent of respondents think the situation in Iraq was not worth going to war over, down four points since April.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 2,539 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 18,600 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 May, it was revealed that there were inconsistencies in the original report of an incident that took place in Hadithah on Nov. 19, 2005. An official statement from the U.S. military claimed that "marines returned fire" when "gunmen attacked (their) convoy with small arms fire" after a roadside bomb exploded.

However, video evidence suggests that 12 U.S. Marines could have killed 24 unarmed Iraqis. A preliminary probe into the incident found that the Marines provided a false account of what happened. Two official enquiries—one led by the U.S. Army and another by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)—have been ordered. 66 per cent of respondents say these reports do not change their feelings about the war in Iraq.

In his Jul. 1 radio address, U.S. president George W. Bush urged Americans to acknowledge the sacrifices of the nation's soldiers, saying, "Our troops and our military families deserve all our support and gratitude. (...) I ask every American to find a way to thank those who defend our freedom."

Polling Data

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

As you may know, there have been reports that American troops in Iraq may have killed unarmed Iraqi civilians during military operations. Do reports like that change your feelings about the war in Iraq in any way, or don't they affect your feelings about the war one way or the other?