A poll of U.S. sentiment about Afghan war.
Angus Reid has a new poll out measuring American sentiment toward the war in Afghanistan:
This month, 51 per cent of respondents (down three points since February) say they support the military operation involving American soldiers in Afghanistan, while 39 per cent are opposed (up one point).Two-in-five Americans (43%) believe the country did the right thing in sending military forces to Afghanistan, while three-in-ten (31%) think it made a mistake.
Overall, 52 per cent of respondents say they have a clear idea of what the war in Afghanistan is about.
When The War is Over
When asked about what they think will be the most likely outcome of the war in Afghanistan, the findings show little fluctuation since February. One-in-four Americans (25%,) expect a clear victory by U.S. and allied forces over the Taliban, and 26 per cent foresee a negotiated settlement from a position of U.S. and allied strength that gives the Taliban a small role in the Afghan government.
Significantly fewer respondents foresee either a negotiated settlement from a position of U.S. and allied weakness that gives the Taliban a significant role in the Afghan government (9%) or a military defeat of U.S. and allied forces by the Taliban (4%).
As for whether people have confidence in the administration, Angus Reid found greater skepticism:
Only 33 per cent of respondents (-2) are very or moderately confident that the Obama Administration will be able â??finish the jobâ? in Afghanistan, while a majority (53%, +1) are not too confident or not confident at all.
