New Poll: Record Number of Americans Oppose the War in Afghanistan

Last Updated on March 17, 2011.

A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll reveals that disapproval against the war in Afghanistan has reached its highest point since the war began nearly 10 years ago. Sixty four percent of Americans say that the war in Afghanistan is “not worth fighting.” In the wake of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Americans have lost the endurance to waste money on a war with no end in sight when those funds could be used to create much-needed jobs. After a decade of chasing bin Laden’s shadow around the deserts and caves of the Af-Pak region, Americans have come to terms with the reality that al Qaeda is not in Afghanistan and that the Taliban were not responsible for 9/11. They understand that you cannot win a war against terrorism no more than you can win a war against war.

Nearly 75 percent of Americans are calling for the withdrawal of a “substantial number” of combat troops from Afghanistan this summer. However, only 39 percent of respondents expect that outcome. Time will tell if President Obama meets those expectations. The will of the American people overwhelmingly demand it, and so do the president’s Democratic constituents, only 19 percent of whom believe the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting according to the survey. American public opinion is on the right track. It’s time for Washington to catch up.

To learn more about the results, visit the Washington Post-ABC News poll.

 

March 17, 2011