October 28, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - More people in the United States express positive views on the global effort to fight terrorism, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 43 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. and its allies are winning the war on terror, up four points since August.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - More people in the United States express positive views on the global effort to fight terrorism, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 43 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. and its allies are winning the war on terror, up four points since August.

Conversely, 30 per cent of respondents think the terrorists are winning the war, while 22 per cent say neither side is emerging victorious.

Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.

At least 702 soldiers—including 447 Americans—have died in the war on terrorism, either in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In addition, 1,708 U.S. military personnel have been wounded in action, according to data provided by the Pentagon.

On Oct. 24, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan—as well as other war on terror-related activities—are becoming unsustainable. The bipartisan group said such expenses have already amounted to more than $600 billion U.S. since September 2001, and could ultimately reach the $2 trillion U.S mark.

Peter Orszag, head of the CBO, declared: "Including both past funding and projected funding under these two illustrative scenarios, total spending for U.S. operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the rest of the war on terrorism would thus amount to between $1.2 trillion U.S. and $1.7 trillion U.S. through 2017. (...) The way I would put it is that we are on an unsustainable fiscal path and something has to give."

Polling Data

Who is winning the war on terror?

	Oct. 23	Aug. 21
U.S. / Allies	43%	39%
Terrorists	30%	32%
Neither	22%	23%
Not sure	5%	6%

Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 800 likely American voters, conducted on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23, 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.