Polls & Research

Iraq War Worth Fighting for 30% of Americans

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Public support for the coalition effort has dropped significantly in the United States, according to a poll by CBS News. 64 per cent of respondents think removing Saddam Hussein from power was not worth the loss of American life and other costs of attacking Iraq, up 13 points since March.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 3,017 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 22,800 troops have been wounded in action.

In December 2005, Iraqi voters renewed their National Assembly. In May 2006, Shiite United Iraqi Alliance member Nouri al-Maliki officially took over as prime minister.

In December 2006, the Iraq Study Group—a bipartisan panel of experts—presented its findings on how to deal with the situation in Iraq. The ten members called for a quicker process to train Iraqi forces, engaging with Iran and Syria in a dialogue aimed at stabilizing Iraq, and pulling back U.S. combat troops by early 2008.

Yesterday, U.S. president George W. Bush introduced his new course of action for the coalition effort, declaring, "America will change our strategy to help the Iraqis carry out their campaign to put down sectarian violence and bring security to the people of Baghdad. This will require increasing American force levels. So I've committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them—five brigades—will be deployed to Baghdad. These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations." 59 per cent of respondents believe U.S. troops should be decreased or removed altogether from Iraq.

Bush warned about difficult times in Iraq, saying, "The year ahead will demand more patience, sacrifice, and resolve. (...) Now America is engaged in a new struggle that will set the course for a new century. We can, and we will, prevail." 59 per cent believe the U.S. should set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Polling Data

Do you think removing Saddam Hussein from power was worth the loss of American life and other costs of attacking Iraq, or not?

From what you have seen or heard about the situation in Iraq, what should the United States do now—should the U.S. increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, keep the same number of U.S. troops in Iraq as there are now, decrease the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, or remove all its troops from Iraq?

Do you think the United States should or should not set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq?