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Iraq War Is Top Problem For Americans
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the United States remain worried about the war in Iraq, according to a poll by CBS News. 26 per cent of respondents say the military operation is the most important problem facing the country today.
The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 1,527 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 11,400 troops have been injured.
The economy and unemployment were next on the list with 15 per cent, followed by terrorism, Social Security, health care, and the budget deficit.
On Mar. 16, federal reserve chairman Alan Greenspan told members of the Senate Select Committee on Aging that the federal government did not expect to face a deficit problem when some tax measures were implemented in 2001, saying, "We were confronted at the time with an almost universal expectation amongst experts that we were dealing with a very large surplus for which there seemed to be no end."
The U.S. budget deficit was tabled at $412 billion U.S. in 2004.
Polling Data
What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?
War in Iraq | 26% |
Economy / Jobs | 15% |
Terrorism | 6% |
Social Security | 6% |
Health Care | 4% |
Budget Deficit / National Debt | 4% |
Poverty / Homelessness | 3% |
Moral Values / Family Values | 3% |
Education | 2% |
Defence / Military | 2% |
Foreign Aid | 2% |
The President | 2% |
Crime | 2% |
Source: CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 737 American adults, conducted from Mar. 21 and Mar. 22, 2005. Margin of error is 4 per cent.