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No Clear Strategy in Afghanistan, Say Britons
- Many adults in Britain question their country's role in the war on terrorism, according to a poll by YouGov published in the Daily Telegraph. 64 per cent of respondents believe there is not a clear strategy guiding the use of British troops in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.
Britain committed troops to both the war on terrorism in Afghanistan and the U.S.-led coalition effort in Iraq. At least 493 soldiers—including 41 Britons—have died in the war on terrorism, either in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
On Oct. 16, British prime minister Tony Blair discussed the situation in Afghanistan, saying, "I believe it is absolutely vital for our security that we stay the course in Afghanistan, that we see this mission through. We must make it clear that we will not allow Afghanistan again to be used as a training ground for the terrorists of al-Qaeda or the brutal oppression of the Taliban. It is a just and a noble cause, and we should see it through." 53 per cent of respondents think all British troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan either immediately or within the next 12 months, regardless of the conditions in Iraq.
Polling Data
From what you know, do you believe there is at present a clear strategy guiding the use of British troops in Afghanistan?
Yes, there is a clear strategy | 19% |
No, there isn't a clear strategy | 64% |
Don't know | 17% |
Thinking about the British troops now in Afghanistan, do you think the government should...?
Withdraw all British troops immediately | 22% |
Withdraw all British troops within the next 12 | 31% |
Keep British troops until Afghanistan's own | 35% |
Don't know | 12% |
Source: YouGov / Daily Telegraph
Methodology: Online interviews with 1,722 British adults, conducted from Oct. 24 to Oct. 26, 2006. No margin of error was provided.