May 17, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fewer adults in the United States are willing to describe the coalition effort as a success, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 52 per cent of respondents think the U.S. mission in Iraq will be regarded as a failure in the long run, up four points since March.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fewer adults in the United States are willing to describe the coalition effort as a success, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 52 per cent of respondents think the U.S. mission in Iraq will be regarded as a failure in the long run, up four points since March.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein’s regime was launched in March 2003. At least 4,078 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and 30,000 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 September 2007, commander of the Multi-National Force - Iraq David Petraeus and U.S. ambassador in Iraq Ryan Crocker provided a comprehensive assessment of the situation in Iraq to the U.S. Congress. In addition, U.S. president George W. Bush said U.S. forces in Iraq would be reduced by 5,700 troops in December. After July 2008, all troop withdrawals from Iraq will be suspended.

On May 16 in Israel, Bush defended his policies during a speech to the Knesset, saying, "Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. (...) We have an obligation to call this what it is—the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

Polling Data

In the long run, will the U.S. mission in Iraq be seen as a success or a failure?

	May 2008	Apr. 2008	Mar. 2008
Success	28%	32%	34%
Failure	52%	50%	48%

Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 800 likely American voters, conducted on May 9 and May 10, 2008. Margin of error is 4 per cent.