Polls & Research

Majority in U.S. Rejects Bush’s Handling of Iraq

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many Americans believe their federal government is not managing the coalition effort properly, according to a poll by Ipsos-Public Affairs released by the Associated Press. 59 per cent of respondents disapprove of the way the Bush administration has conducted the war in Iraq, up three points since June.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 1,873 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 14,000 troops have been injured.

On Aug. 24 in Idaho, U.S. president George W. Bush called Iraq "one of the most important battlefronts in this war on terror," adding, "The stakes in Iraq could not be higher. The brutal violence in Iraq today is a clear sign of the terrorists' determination to stop democracy from taking root in the Middle East." 50 per cent of respondents believe the military action in Iraq has increased the threat of terrorism around the world.

Bush also urged for endurance, declaring, "Transforming a country that was ruled by an oppressive dictator who sponsored terror into a free nation that is an ally in the war on terror will take more time, more sacrifice, and continued resolve." 52 per cent of respondents think the U.S. made a mistake in going to war in Iraq.

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Bush administration has conducted the war in Iraq? Is that strongly or somewhat?

Has the military action in Iraq increased or decreased the threat of terrorism around the world?

All in all, thinking about how things have gone in Iraq since the United States went to war there in March, 2003, do you think the United States made the right decision in going to war in Iraq, or made a mistake in going to war in Iraq?