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Americans Regard Iraq War as Ineffective
- Many adults in the United States question their government's decision to launch the coalition effort, according to a poll by Bloomberg and the Los Angeles Times. 60 per cent of respondents believe the war in Iraq is diverting resources that could be used in other ways to fight terrorism, while 27 per cent see it as effective.
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.
On Sept. 15, U.S. president George W. Bush ruled out establishing a timetable for the end of the coalition effort, saying, "We all want the troops to come home as quickly as possible. But they'll be coming home when our commanders say the Iraqi government is capable of defending itself and sustaining itself and is governing itself." 77 per cent of respondents think it is possible to support the troops fighting in Iraq and still criticize Bush's policies.
Polling Data
Do you believe the war in Iraq is diverting resources that could be used in other ways to fight terrorism, or do you believe the war in Iraq is the most effective way to reduce the risk of terrorism?
Iraq war is diverting resources | 60% |
Iraq war is effective | 27% |
Don't know | 13% |
Which of the following statements comes closer to your view?
When people criticize George W. Bush's | 18% |
People could support the troops fighting | 77% |
Don't know | 5% |
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.