"Poll on Afghanistan: Endless War, Deaths OK"
"Poll on Afghanistan: Endless War, Deaths OK""A solid majority of Americans are willing to see some of their countrymen die to achieve a terror-free Afghanistan, but US misgivings about sending more troops remain, a poll released Wednesday said.
65 percent of US voters "are willing to have American soldiers 'fight and possibly die' to eliminate the threat of terrorists operating from Afghanistan," according to the Quinnipiac University poll. Only 28 percent said otherwise.
But 49 percent of those surveyed said the United States will not be successful in crushing the Taliban insurgency as it gathers steam, against 38 percent who projected success in the US-led mission.
The findings came amid growing public anxiety and party divisions over the course of the eight-year war against a backdrop of rising troop deaths and an Afghan election widely seen as fraudulent.
The findings came amid growing public anxiety and party divisions over the course of the eight-year war against a backdrop of rising troop deaths and an Afghan election widely seen as fraudulent.
While most said the war in Afghanistan was the "right thing" for Washington to do, they showed concern: 50 percent expressed worries the United States would stay "too long" in the war-torn country and 32 percent said America was "headed for another Vietnam."
Another 21 percent supported US involvement for one to two years, while 14 percent said two to five years and 30 percent backed keeping US troops there for "as long as it takes."
"The American people are deeply conflicted about the war in Afghanistan. Two-thirds of voters can tell you that the war is related to the 9/11 attacks and see the current effort there as worthwhile to prevent a re occurrence," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "But they don't want a prolonged military commitment and there is obvious nervousness about requests from the military to send more troops to Afghanistan."
"The American people are deeply conflicted about the war in Afghanistan. Two-thirds of voters can tell you that the war is related to the 9/11 attacks and see the current effort there as worthwhile to prevent a re occurrence," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "But they don't want a prolonged military commitment and there is obvious nervousness about requests from the military to send more troops to Afghanistan."
Of those surveyed, just 38 percent want troop levels there increased, while 28 percent said they want to lower troop levels. Twenty-one percent want to maintain the current troop level.
The poll was released as President Barack Obama weighs a decision on a revamped strategy that could see him send up to 40,000 more US soldiers to Afghanistan, as requested by his war commander, General Stanley McChrystal. A rift has emerged within the Obama administration between those backing further troop deployments to help secure the Afghan population and others, notably Vice President Joe Biden, said to back a more counter terrorism approach focused on targeting Al-Qaeda militants with mostly unmanned air strikes. The president is holding a series of meetings on his strategy, with a decision expected within weeks, and held talks with key Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday."
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