April 23, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe their government made a mistake in launching the coalition effort, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 64 per cent of respondents think that, considering the costs versus the benefits, the war with Iraq was not worth fighting.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe their government made a mistake in launching the coalition effort, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 64 per cent of respondents think that, considering the costs versus the benefits, the war with Iraq was not worth fighting.

In addition, 57 per cent of respondents think the U.S. is not making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq, up six points since February.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein’s regime was launched in March 2003. At least 4,044 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and 29,700 troops have been wounded in action.

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 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. In addition, U.S. president George W. Bush said U.S. forces in Iraq would be reduced by 5,700 troops in December. After July 2008, all troop withdrawals from Iraq will be suspended.

On Apr. 21, U.S. defence secretary Robert Gates discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "It is a hard sell to say we must sustain the fight in Iraq right now, and continue to absorb the high financial and human costs of this struggle, in order to avoid an even uglier fight or even greater danger to our country in the future. (...) The current campaign has gone on longer, and has been more difficult, than anyone expected or prepared for at the start. And so we’ve had to scramble to position ourselves for success over the long haul, which I believe we are doing."

Polling Data

All in all, considering the costs to the United States versus the benefits to the United States, do you think the war with Iraq was worth fighting, or not?

	Apr. 2008	Feb. 2008	Jan. 2008
Worth fighting	34%	34%	34%
Not worth fighting	64%	63%	65%
Unsure	2%	2%	1%

Do you think the United States is or is not making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq?

	Apr. 2008	Feb. 2008	Jan. 2008
Is	40%	43%	42%
Is not	57%	51%	54%
Unsure	3%	6%	4%

Source: TNS / Washington Post / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,197 American adults, conducted from Apr. 10 to Apr. 13, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.