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Americans Ponder Obama’s Next Move in Iraq
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States want their president-elect to keep troops in Iraq until the situation is more stable and then begin to remove them without a fixed date for a full withdrawal, according to a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. 56 per cent of respondents believe Barack Obama should follow this course of action.
Conversely, 38 per cent of respondents want Obama to immediately begin a withdrawal of U.S. soldiers with a fixed date to have them all out within 18 months. In addition, 58 per cent of respondents think going to war with Iraq was the wrong thing for the United States to do.
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 January 2007, U.S. president George W. Bush introduced his new course of action for the coalition effort, which included an increase in U.S. troop levels. 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.
Last month, Iraq’s National Assembly ratified the Status of Forces Agreement with the United States. The document establishes that coalition combat forces will withdraw from Iraqi cities by Jun. 30, 2009, and will be completely out of Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011. The agreement can be revised if the Iraqi prime minister believes Iraq is not stable enough.
Yesterday, Obama discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "I believe that 16 months is the right timeframe [to withdraw troops from Iraq] but, as I’ve said consistently, I will listen to the recommendations of my commanders."
Polling Data
What would you prefer Barack Obama do about the war in Iraq? Begin immediately a withdrawal of American troops, with a fixed date to have them all out within 18 months; or, Keep troops in Iraq until the situation is more stable, and then begin to withdraw them, without a fixed date for full withdrawal.
|
Out Within 18 Months |
38% |
|
No Fixed Date |
56% |
|
Unsure |
6% |
Do you think going to war with Iraq was the right thing for the United States to do or the wrong thing?
|
Nov. 2008 |
May 2008 |
Oct. 2007 |
|
|
Right |
36% |
33% |
38% |
|
Wrong |
58% |
62% |
55% |
|
Unsure |
6% |
5% |
6% |
Source: Quinnipiac University Polling Institute
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,210 registered American voters, conducted from Nov. 6 to Nov. 10, 2008. Margin of error is 2.1 per cent.