(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Most people in France want to withdraw the country’s soldiers from Afghanistan, according to a poll by CSA published in Le Parisien. 55 per cent of respondents support a troop pull-out, while 36 per cent say the French soldiers should stay put.

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.

France committed troops to the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. At least 936 soldiers—including 22 French—have died in the conflict, either in support of the United States-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

In May 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy, candidate for the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and former interior minister, won the presidential run-off with 53.06 per cent of the vote. Sarkozy appointed François Fillon—who had been his adviser and presidential campaign leader—as prime minister.

On Aug. 18, 10 French soldiers serving in Afghanistan were killed in an ambush by Taliban fighters. French lawmakers are due to debate the future of the Afghan mission on Sept. 22.

On Aug. 24, Fillon said he would support a vote in the legislature on whether the troops should be brought back home. The UMP holds majorities in both houses, so the mission would likely remain unchanged.

On Aug. 26, Sarkozy said he does not support a withdrawal, adding, "There should be no mistake, they are arming terrorists over there and we are not safe from terrorism."

Polling Data

As you may know, France has deployed soldiers to Afghanistan. Which of these two choices would you prefer?

Source: CSA / Le Parisien
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,008 French adults, conducted on Aug. 20, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

Archive Search

Over 19,600 Polls
Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Polls & Research archive.