What do you think: Was Afghan war a mistake?
Published: August 3, 2010
As the fighting gets tougher in Afghanistan fewer and fewer Americans continue to support U.S. efforts there, according to a new poll released by USA Today and Gallup on Tuesday. Among individuals surveyed last week, 43 percent said U.S. leaders "made a mistake" in sending military forces to Afghanistan, and nearly two-thirds believe that those military operations are going poorly today.
The poll questions came about a month after the dismissal of the top U.S. military official in the country and just days after the leak of more than 91,000 sensitive documents about combat operations in Afghanistan. But Gallup officials said Americans views of the war have been increasingly pessimistic since last summer, suggesting the latest round of bad news isn't solely to blame.
The poll results also suggest waning support for the president's strategy for the war. Of those surveyed 57 percent disapprove of his handling of Afghanistan, while only 36 percent support him. Just one year ago those numbers were reversed: 56 percent approved, 34 percent disapproved.
In addition, 57 percent of those surveyed believe the president should set a firm deadline for the withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan. A third of that group want a withdrawal "as soon as possible."
Despite the negative attitudes towards U.S. policy, two-thirds of individuals surveyed believe that WikiLeaks was wrong to release any classified documents. Only one-quarter of those surveyed supported the release.
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