Polls & Research

Iraq War Wrong, Americans Would Withdraw

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - More adults in the United States question their government's decision to launch the coalition effort, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 64 per cent of respondents think the U.S. made a mistake in going to war in Iraq, up five points since May.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 3,063 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 23,100 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.

On Jan. 10, U.S. president George W. Bush introduced his new course of action for the coalition effort, which includes an increase in U.S. troop levels. 52 per cent of respondents think the U.S. should withdraw its military forces from Iraq in order to avoid further military casualties, up four points since December.

On Jan. 24 in an interview broadcast on CNN, U.S. vice-president Dick Cheney discussed the situation in Iraq, saying, "The biggest problem we face right now, is the danger that the United States will validate the terrorist's strategy, that in fact what will happen here, with all of the debate over whether or not we ought to stay in Iraq, where the pressure is from some quarters to get out of Iraq, if we were to do that, we would simply validate the terrorist's strategy, that says the Americans will not stay to complete the task."

Polling Data

Considering everything, do you think the United States did the right thing in going to war with Iraq, or do you think it was a mistake?

Do you think the United States should keep its military forces in Iraq until civil order is restored there, even if that means continued U.S. military casualties; OR, do you think the United States should withdraw its military forces from Iraq in order to avoid further U.S. military casualties, even if that means civil order is not restored there?