For the First Time, Most Americans Oppose Afghan War

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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

January 25, 2007

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States express dissatisfaction with the war on terrorism, according to a poll by Opinion Research Corporation released by CNN. 52 per cent of respondents oppose the U.S. conflict in Afghanistan, up four points since September.

Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.

At least 512 soldiers—including 353 Americans—have died in the war on terrorism, either in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Yesterday, Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf rejected claims that his country is not doing enough to assist in the war on terrorism, saying, "The fight against terrorism and extremism, whether it is al-Qaeda or Taliban, can never succeed without Pakistan’s cooperation and Pakistan is the only country that has delivered the maximum on both. We are tackling them with 30,000 troops. If there is anybody who is not doing enough, it is others who are not doing enough."

The survey marks the first time that a majority of Americans have expressed opposition to the conflict in Afghanistan.

Polling Data

Do you favour or oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan?

	Jan. 2007	Sept. 2006
Favour	44%	50%
Oppose	52%	48%
Unsure	4%	2%

Source: Opinion Research Corporation / CNN
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,008 American adults, conducted from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.