March 08, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe their government was wrong to launch the coalition effort, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 63 per cent of respondents think the war with Iraq was not worth fighting.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe their government was wrong to launch the coalition effort, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 63 per cent of respondents think the war with Iraq was not worth fighting.

In addition, 51 per cent of respondents think the United States is not making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein’s regime was launched in March 2003. At least 3,974 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and 29,300 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, and announced the possibility of a further decrease in July 2008.

On Mar. 5, Bush endorsed Republican Arizona senator John McCain as a presidential candidate, saying, "John McCain will find out, when he takes the oath of office, his most important responsibility is to protect the American people from harm. And there’s still an enemy that lurks, an enemy that wants to strike us. And this country better have somebody in that Oval Office who understands the stakes, and John McCain understands those stakes."

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?

	Feb. 2008	Jan. 2008	Dec. 2007
Worth fighting	34%	34%	36%
Not worth fighting	63%	65%	62%
Unsure	2%	1%	3%

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

	Feb. 2008	Jan. 2008	Dec. 2007
Is	43%	42%	41%
Is not	51%	54%	55%
Unsure	6%	4%	4%

Source: TNS / Washington Post / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,126 American adults, conducted from Feb. 28 to Mar. 2, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.