International public opinion on the war in Afghanistan
Encyclopedia
International public opinion is largely opposed to the war in Afghanistan. A 47-nation global survey of public opinion conducted in June 2007 by the Pew Global Attitudes Project found considerable opposition to the U.S. and NATO military operations in Afghanistan. In only 2 out of the 47 countries was there a majority that favoured keeping military troops in Afghanistan - Israel (59%) and Kenya (60%). On the other hand, in 41 of the 47 countries pluralities want U.S. and NATO military troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. In 32 out of 47 countries clear majorities want U.S. and NATO military troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. Majorities in 7 out of 12 NATO member countries want troops withdrawn as soon as possible.
The 24-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey in June 2008 again found that majorities or pluralities in 21 of 24 countries want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible. In only 3 out of the 24 countries - the U.S. (50%), Australia (60%), and Britain (48%) - did public opinion lean more toward keeping troops there until the situation has stabilized. Since then, public opinion in Australia and Britain has shifted, and the majority of Australians and Britons now also want their troops to be brought home from Afghanistan. Of the seven NATO countries in the survey, not one showed a majority in favor of keeping U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan - only one, the U.S., came close to a majority (50%). Of the other six NATO countries, five had clear majorities of their population wanting U.S. and NATO troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible.
The 25-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey in June 2009 continued to find that the war in Afghanistan is unpopular in most nations and that most publics want American and NATO troops out of Afghanistan. The 2009 global survey reported that majorities or pluralities in 18 out of 25 countries want U.S. and NATO to remove their military troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible. (Changes from 2008 included Tanzania, South Africa, and Australia having been replaced by Israel, Kenya, the Palestinian Territories, and Canada in the survey, and shifts in opinions in India and Nigeria.) In only 4 out of 25 countries was there a majority that favoured keeping U.S. and NATO military troops in Afghanistan - the U.S. (57%), Israel (59%), Kenya (56%), and Nigeria (52%). Despite American calls for NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, there was majority or plurality opposition to such action in every one of the NATO countries surveyed: Germany (63% opposition), France (62%), Poland (57%), Canada (55%), Britain (51%), Spain (50%), and Turkey (49%).
In Europe, polls in France, Germany, Britain, and other countries show that the European public want their troops to be pulled out and less money spent on the war in Afghanistan.
This dichotomy between American and international public opinion on the military operations in Afghanistan continues to be seen, although opposition to the war in Afghanistan is growing in the U.S. as well. A Gallup poll conducted July 10–12, 2009 reported that the majority 61% of Americans do not think the U.S. made a mistake in sending military forces to Afghanistan in 2001, while 36% of Americans do. 54% also thought things are going well for the U.S. in Afghanistan. An Angus Reid poll conducted July 15–18, 2009, found that 55% of Americans support the military operation, while only 35% oppose it. About half, 49%, of Americans thought their country did the right thing in sending military forces to Afghanistan. About half, 48%, of Americans felt that they did not have a clear idea of what the war in Afghanistan is about.
Outside the United States, on the other hand, international public opinion has been largely opposed to the war in Afghanistan. In a 47-nation June 2007 survey of global public opinion, the Pew Global Attitudes Project found considerable opposition to U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan. Only in just 4 out of the 47 countries surveyed was there a majority that favoured keeping military troops in Afghanistan: the U.S. (50%), Israel (59%), Ghana (50%), and Kenya (60%). In 41 of the 47 countries, pluralities want U.S. and NATO military troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. In 32 out of 47 countries, clear majorities want U.S. and NATO military troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. Majorities in 7 out of 12 NATO member countries say troops should be withdrawn as soon as possible.
The 24-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey in June 2008 similarly found that majorities or pluralities in 21 of 24 countries want the U.S. and NATO to remove their troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible. Only in 3 out of the 24 countries - the U.S. (50%), Australia (60%), and Britain (48%) - did public opinion lean more toward keeping troops there until the situation has stabilized. Since that poll, views in Britain and Australia have also diverged from public opinion in the United States, and clear majorities in both Britain and Australia now want their troops to be brought back home from the war in Afghanistan. Of the seven NATO countries included in the survey, none showed a majority in favor of keeping U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan until the situation stabilised - only one, the United States, came close to a majority (50%). Of the other six NATO countries, five had clear majorities of their population wanting U.S. and NATO troops to be removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible: Spain (56%), France (54%), Germany (54%), Poland (65%), and Turkey (72%).
The 25-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey in June 2009 continued to find the war in Afghanistan to be unpopular in most nations, with most publics wanting American and NATO troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. The 2009 global survey reported that majorities or pluralities in 18 out of 25 countries want U.S. and NATO to remove their military troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible. (Changes from the 2008 survey included Tanzania, South Africa, and Australia having been replaced by Israel, Kenya, the Palestinian Territories, and Canada in the survey, as well as shifts in opinions in India and Nigeria.) In only 4 out of 25 countries was there a majority that favoured keeping U.S. and NATO military troops in Afghanistan - the U.S. (57%), Israel (59%), Kenya (56%), and Nigeria (52%). In only 1 of the 8 NATO countries included in the survey - the U.S. - was there a majority in favour of keeping U.S. and NATO military troops in Afghanistan until the situation stabilised. Despite repeated American calls for NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, there was majority or plurality opposition to such action in all seven of the other NATO countries surveyed: Germany (63% disapprove), France (62%), Poland (57%), Canada (55%), Britain (51%), Spain (50%), and Turkey (49%).
The 22-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey released in June 2010 again continued to find the war in Afghanistan unpopular in most nations. The poll reported that majorities or pluralities in 16 of 22 countries want the U.S.-led military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". In only one single country out of the 22 was there a majority that supported keeping U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan until the situation stabilizes (57% in Kenya).
A Washington Post - ABC poll conducted July 15–18, 2009 found that just half of Americans, 51%, think the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting, while nearly half, 45%, think the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting - a statistical tie within the poll's ±3 point margin of error. The American public is also closely divided on whether the United States is making significant progress toward winning the war, with 46% thinking so and 42% not.
An Associated Press - GfK poll conducted July 16–20, 2009 found that the majority 53% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 44% support it. It furthermore found that the plurality of Americans, 34%, strongly opposed the war in Afghanistan, while only 20% strongly favored it. (Another 19% somewhat opposed the war in Afghanistan, 20% somewhat favored it, and 3% did not know or declined to answer.)
A CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted July 31 - August 3, 2009 also found that most Americans now oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan. In a new low in American public support for the war, 54% of Americans said they opposed the U.S. war, while only 41% supported it.
Following the August 20, 2009 election
in Afghanistan that was characterized by widespread lack of security and massive fraud, and capping off the two deadliest months for U.S. troops in the 8-year war, the CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted August 28–31, 2009 registered the highest level of opposition to the U.S. war in Afghanistan the poll has yet seen. A majority 57% of Americans now oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 42% still support it.
A Washington Post - ABC News poll conducted September 10–12, 2009 reported that:
The poll found that the plurality 42% of Americans now want a reduction of the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and that only 26% of Americans think more troops should be sent to Afghanistan.
The CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted September 11–13, 2009, found that American opposition to the war reached a new all-time high, while American support for the U.S. war fell to a new all-time low. The majority 58% of Americans now oppose the war in Afghanistan, while only 39% support it.
Keating Holland, CNN's polling director, observed that:
He noted that support for the war in Iraq had first dropped to 39 percent in June 2005 then generally remained in the low to mid-30s since.
The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted October 1–5, 2009 found the majority 57% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, up 4% from July, while 40% favor the war, down 4% from July.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2009 found that the majority 58% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 40% support it. The majority 56% of Americans also oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 42% favor doing so.
The Pew Research poll conducted Oct. 28 - Nov. 8, 2009 found that the majority 59% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to the war in Afghanistan: The plurality 40% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, and 19% want the number of troops to remain unchanged. Only 32% support sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
The Gallup poll conducted Nov. 5-8, 2009 found that the majority 51% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan: The plurality 44% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, and 7% want the number to be kept unchanged.
The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted November 5–9, 2009 again found that the majority 57% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 39% favor it.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted November 12–15, 2009 found that the majority 52% of Americans now say the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, a new high in opposition for the poll question first asked in 2007, and that only 44% say it is worth fighting, a new low in support. The majority 76% of Americans do not feel that withdrawing from Afghanistan would increase the risk of terrorism in the U.S. while only 23% feel that it would.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted Dec. 16-20, 2009 found that the majority 55% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while 43% support it.
The AP/GfK poll conducted January 12–17, 2010 found that the majority 54% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 43% support it. The plurality of Americans, 32%, "strongly oppose" the war in Afghanistan, while only 18% "strongly favor" it. The majority 55% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 41% would support doing so. The plurality 34% of Americans "strongly oppose" sending any more troops, while only 17% "strongly favor" doing so.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted April 22–25, 2010 showed that the majority 52% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, and the plurality 38% of Americans "strongly" think that it has not been worth fighting. A minority 45% of Americans think that the war being carried out in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, with only a minority 26% of Americans that feel that way strongly.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted May 21–23, 2010 found that the majority 56% of Americans oppose their country's war in Afghanistan, while 42% support it.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted June 3–6, 2010 showed that the majority 53% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, and the plurality 41% of Americans "strongly" think that it has not been worth fighting. A minority 44% of Americans think that the war being carried out in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, with only a minority 26% of Americans that feel that way strongly.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted July 7–11, 2010 found that the large majority of Americans, 76%, want to start withdrawing troops by next summer or sooner: 45% call Obama's plan to start withdrawing troops by next summer "about right", and an additional 31% call for the withdrawal to start even sooner. Only 18% think the withdrawal should start later. The majority 53% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, with the plurality 38% of Americans "strongly" feeling so. The poll reported that support for the war in Afghanistan hit a new low in the United States: only 43% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, down sharply since the end of the previous year, and the lowest since the question was asked in February 2007.
The CBS News poll conducted July 9–12, 2010 found that the majority 58% of Americans want their troops withdrawn from the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan within the next one or two years, and only 35% were willing to have U.S. troops stay longer than two years from now. One-third, 33%, of Americans think large numbers of U.S. troops should be withdrawn in less than a year, another 23% think that should be done within one or two years, and 2% want an immediate withdrawal. Only 26% of Americans think U.S. troops should remain for as long as it takes, 7% think they should stay another two to five years, and 2% think they should stay for another five to ten years.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted August 6-10, 2010 showed the American public's opposition to the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan at an all-time high. The majority 62% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, the highest level since the poll question was asked in 2006, while only 37% favored the U.S. war, an all-time low.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted December 17-19, 2010 again showed the American public's opposition to their country's nine-year war in Afghanistan reaching a new all-time high. The majority 63% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in that country, the highest level reached since the poll question was asked in 2006, while only 35% favored the U.S. war, again a new all-time low.
Opposition by the American public to the war in Afghanistan also reached an all-time high in polling by ABC News and the Washington Post in December 2010. A record 60% majority of Americans say the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while only 34% say it has, a new record low of support of the war. The unpopularity of the war has now reached the levels seen for the war in Iraq. The overwhelming 81% majority of Americans want the withdrawal of American military forces to begin within a few months - either in the summer of 2011 as pledged by President Obama, or even sooner than that.
In January 2011, the USA Today / Gallup poll of January 14-16 reported that the majority 72% of Americans want the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan to be accelerated - including clear majorities in the three political groups - while only a minority 25% disagree. Of note, the plurality of Americans, 41%, "strongly" favor speeding up the withdrawal from Afghanistan, while only a very small 6% minority "strongly" oppose doing so.
In March 2011, the Washington Post / ABC News poll of March 10-13 reported that the majority 64% of Americans say that the war in Afghanistan is no longer worth fighting - the highest level of American opposition to the war measured by the poll - while only 31% thought it was - the lowest level of support to date. Nearly three-quarters of Americans, 73%, want President Obama to withdraw a "substanstial number" of combat troops from Afghanistan this summer - while only 21% do not. Nearly half of Americans, the plurality 49%, "strongly" think the war is not worth fighting, while only 17% strongly think it is.
Following the targeted killing
of Osama bin Laden
by a specially-trained U.S. covert unit, the USA Today / Gallup poll of May 5-8, 2011, reported that the majority 59% of Americans think the U.S. has finished its work in Afghanistan and its troops should be brought home. Only 36% disagreed, and not a single major demographic group had a majority that favored keeping U.S. military forces in Afghanistan.
The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted May 5-9, 2011 reported that the majority 59% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, with the plurality 32% of Americans "strongly" opposed to it. Only 37% of Americans favored the war, the lowest level of support to date. The majority 80% of Americans approve of President Barack Obama's decision to end all U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014 and to begin the withdrawal of combat troops in July, with the plurality 52% "strongly" approving the ending of combat operations. Only a minority 15% disapproved, with only 8% "strongly" disapproving. The majority 83% of Americans think the announced pace of withdrawal is either about right or too slow, while only a 15% minority think it is too fast.
The CBS News / New York Times poll of June 24-28, 2011 reported that the majority 58% of Americans oppose the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan - the highest level of opposition yet recorded by the poll - while only 35% thought the U.S. was doing the "right thing" in fighting its war in Afghanistan. An overwhelming 79% of Americans approve of the announced withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, with the majority 59% of Americans wanting even more than one-third of all U.S. troops withdrawn from Afghanistan within the next year, by the end of summer 2012. Altogether, the overwhelming 85% majority of Americans - including the 75% majority of Republicans - want at least one-third of U.S. troops withdrawn within the next year, by the end of summer 2012.
The Pew Research Center poll released at the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the longest period of sustained warfare in its history, reported that the majority 52% of Americans think that, considering the costs versus the benefits to the United States, the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while 41% think it has.
(Pluralities over the ±3 margin of error indicated in bold. Lowest levels indicated in italics. Source: CNN/Opinion Research Corporation )
(Pluralities over the ±3.1 margin of error indicated in bold. Lowest levels indicated in italics. Source: AP/GfK )
(Pluralities over the ±3 margin of error indicated in bold. Lowest levels indicated in italics. Source: CBS News )
and Democrats
exists as well. The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted July 16–20, 2009 found 66% of Republicans favoring the war in Afghanistan, while only 26% of Democrats do.
The CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted July 31 - August 3, 2009 found that nearly two-thirds of Republicans support the war in Afghanistan, while three quarters of Democrats oppose the war. CNN polling director Keating Holland said:
An ABC News-Washington Post poll conducted Aug. 13-17, 2009 found that 78% of conservative Republicans think the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting, while only 22% of liberal Democrats do. 65% of conservative Republicans also think that the U.S. is winning the war in Afghanistan. 64% of liberal Democrats want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, while only 22% of conservative Republicans do.
A McClatchy-Ipsos poll conducted August 27–31, 2009, reported that 66% of Democrats and 67% of independents oppose sending more U.S. combat troops to Afghanistan. Only in one group was there a majority in favor of sending more combat troops to Afghanistan, with 52% of Republicans favoring a further escalation.
The CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted August 28–31, 2009 again showed that most of the support for the U.S. war is from Republicans. Seven in ten Republicans support the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while nearly three quarters of Democrats oppose the war, as do 57% of independents.
The Washington Post - ABC News poll conducted September 10–12, 2009 found that the majority 56% of Democrats want a reduction of the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, while the plurality 39% of Republicans want more troops to be sent to the war. Only 17% of Democrats support sending any more troops to Afghanistan. The poll also reported that the majority 59% of Democrats think the "war on terrorism" can be a success without winning in Afghanistan, while the majority 66% of Republicans think the war in Afghanistan must be won to win the "war on terrorism".
The CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted September 11–13, 2009 found that only 23% of Democrats and only 39% independents support the war, while a majority 62% of Republicans support the war. The majority 75% of Democrats oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan.
The USA Today - Gallup poll conducted September 22–23, 2009 found that the majority 62% of Democrats oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while the majority 63% of Republicans favor sending more U.S. troops there. The majority 53% of Democrats want to in fact begin a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, while only 24% of Republicans want a withdrawal to begin. Only 30% of Democrats support sending more U.S. troops. Nearly half, 49% of independents oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, and the plurality 43% of independents also want to begin to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
The Pew Research Center poll conducted September 10–15, 2009 found that the majority 56% of Democrats want to remove U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while, in contrast, 71% of Republicans favor keeping them there. By nearly two to one, 55% to 29%, Republicans also thought the U.S. is making progress rather than losing ground in defeating the Taliban militarily. Among Democrats and independents 46% and 49%, respectively, said the U.S. is losing ground in defeating the Taliban militarily.
The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted October 1–5, 2009 found that the majority 57% of Democrats oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan, while, on the other hand, the majority 69% of Republicans favor sending more troops there.
The Clarus Research poll conducted October 1–4, 2009, found that only 17% of Democrats supported sending more troops - The solid majority 61% of Democrats want to "decrease U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan and begin to get out". In contrast, the majority 54% of Republicans favor sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Ron Faucheux, president of Clarus Research Group, said:
In a USA Today / Gallup poll conducted October 6, 2009, 59% of Democrats, and 50% of independents, opposed sending any more troops, while 73% of Republicans favored sending more troops. Half, 50%, of Democrats wanted President Obama to begin to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, while only 18% of Republicans wanted this.
In the CBS News poll conducted October 5–8, 2009, the majority 52% of Democrats wanted to decrease the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, while the majority 57% of Republicans want to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Only 27% of Democrats support sending more troops to Afghanistan. The majority 76% of Republicans think the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting the war, while, on the other hand, the plurality 49% of Democrats think the U.S. should not be involved in Afghanistan.
In the ABC News - Washington Post poll conducted October 15–18, 2009, the majority 60% of Democrats opposed sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while the majority 69% of Republicans favored sending more troops there. Only 36% of Democrats felt the war was worth fighting, while 71% of Republicans did.
In the Pew Research poll conducted Oct. 28 - Nov. 8, 2009, the majority 70% of Democrats oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 48% of Republicans favor sending more troops there. The plurality 50% of Democrats want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, while 25% of Republicans did as well.
In the Gallup poll conducted Nov. 5-8, 2009, the majority 66% of Democrats oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 63% of Republicans want to send more troops there. The majority 60% of Democrats want President Obama to, in fact, begin reducing U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan. 26% of Republicans wanted a reduction in troops to begin. Gallup noted:
In the ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted November 12–15, 2009, the political divide in the U.S. over the war continued: the majority 66% of Democrats say the war is not worth fighting, with narly half of Democrats, 48%, feeling strongly that the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, while, on the other hand, the majority 60% of Republicans say that it is worth fighting, with 43% of Republicans feeling strongly that it is.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted May 21–23, 2010 noted that the war in Afghanistan remained popular with Republicans, with a majority two-thirds of them favoring continuation of the war. On the other hand, only a minority of around one in four, 27%, of Democrats supported the war, and among independents support has fallen to only 40%.
The Pew Global Attitudes survey released in June 2010 also noted the significant partisan difference, finding that nearly two-thirds, a 65% majority, of Republicans wanted to continue to keep the U.S.-led military forces in Afghanistan indefinitely, while only around one-third, a 36% minority, of Democrats supported this.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted June 3–6, 2010 similarly reported that the majority 62% of Republicans think the almost-nine-year war imposed on on that country has been worth its costs to the U.S., while the majority two-thirds, 66%, of Democrats and 53% of independents think it has not been worth fighting. In fact, the majority 54% of Democrat-leaning Americans "strongly" think that the war has not been worth fighting.
The CBS News poll conducted July 9–12, 2010 also reported the strong partisan divide over the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan. The large 73% majority of Democrats want a timetable set for withdrawal, while the majority 66% of Republicans do not. The nearly-three-quarters majority, 74%, of Democrats want most U.S. troops to be withdrawn within a year or two, while a majority 52% of Republicans want them to stay longer than another two years.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted October 5-7, 2010 reported that the over-two-thirds majority of Democrats, 68%, oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while, on the other hand, the majority 51% of Republicans favor the U.S. war in Afghanistan, the only group of respondents to do so. Only 28% of Democrats support the U.S. war. Among Independents, the majority 61% oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 35% support it.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted December 9-12, 2010 continued to find that Republicans remained the most supportive of warfare in Afghanistan: albeit down a dramatic 35% from the peak in 2007, 50% of Republicans still say the war has been worth fighting in that country. Among Democrats only a minority 36% think the war has been worth fighting.
In the CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted December 17-19, 2010, the three-quarters majority of Democrat voters oppose the war, as do more than six in ten independent voters, while, on the other hand, 52% of Republicans, and 52% of Tea Party supporters, supported continuation of the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan.
The Washington Post / ABC News poll conducted March 10-13, 2011 reported that only 19% of Democratic voters think the war is worth fighting - compared to half of Republican supporters, the chief constituency supporting the war. The majority two-thirds of independent voters think the war is not worth fighting, while only about one-in-four think it is. Nearly 80% of independent voters want Barack Obama to withdraw a "substantial number" of troops from Afghanistan "this summer".
In the USA Today / Gallup poll conducted May 5-8, 2011, a week following the targeted killing
of Osama bin Laden
by a specially-trained U.S. covert unit, Democrat and independent voters, by a 2-to-1 margin, believe the U.S. has finished its work in Afghanistan and should now bring its troops home. The majority two-thirds of Democrat voters, 66%, think that U.S. troops should now be brought home, as do the majority 62% of independent voters. Among Republican voters, an equal number, 47%, think that the American troops should be brought home from Afghanistan, and 47% do not. Not a single major demographic group had a majority that favored keeping U.S. military forces in Afghanistan.
In the Gallup poll conducted June 25-26, 2011, the vast majority of Democrat and independent voters favor the announced withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2014. An overwhelming 87% of Democrat voters and 74% of independent voters favor the planned withdrawal, with only 11% and 21% opposed. On the other hand, 50% of Republican voters also favor the announced withdrawal, while 43% opposed it. In the very same poll, however, 54% of Republicans thought a timetable should not be set.
In the CBS News / New York Times poll conducted June 24-28, 2011, the majority 60% of Democrat voters and 63% of independent voters oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, while only 32% and 28%, respectively, support it. An overwhelming 90% of Democrat voters and 79% of independent voters approved of the plan to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. An overwhelming 94% of Democrat voters and 84% of independent voters want at least one-third of U.S. troops withdrawn within a year, by the end of summer 2012. On the other hand, Republican voters were split, with 48% opposed to the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and 47% supporting it. However, the majority two-thirds, 67%, of Republican voters approve of President Obama's plan to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and 75% want at least one-third of the trooops withdrawn within a year, by the end of summer 2012.
In the Pew Research Center poll released at the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the longest period of sustained warfare in its history, the majority 59% of Democrat voters and the majority 58% of independent voters think the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while only 34% and 36%, respectively, think it has. On the other hand, the majority 56% of Republicans think the decade-long war has been worth fighting, while 37% think it has not.
supporters call for either a reduction of U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan (the 39% plurality) or a complete withdrawal "as soon as possible" (27%). Only a minority 24% think that the current levels of troops should be maintained. The majority 71% of conservative voters, including over two-thirds of Tea Party supporters, are worried that the war's cost to American taxpayers - $120 billion spent on the war in 2010 - will make it more difficult to reduce the U.S. deficit next year and balance the U.S. federal budget in the next decade. The poll for the Afghanistan Study Group was conducted January 4-10, 2011.
A USA Today / Gallup poll conducted January 14-16, 2011 also reported that, while still coming behind an overwhelming 86% majority of Democrats and 72% majority of independents, there was now also a clear 61% majority of self-identified conservatives calling for an accelerated withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
In the Gallup poll conducted June 25-26, 2011, 50% of Republican voters generally favor the announced withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2014, while 43% opposed it.
In the CBS News / New York Times poll conducted June 24-28, 2011, the majority 67% of Republican voters approve of the plan to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of summer 2012, and the majority 75% of Republican voters want at least one-third of U.S. troops withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of summer 2012: the plurality 41% of Republican voters want more than one-third of U.S. troops withdrawn in this timeframe, 34% want about a third, while only 18% thought it should be less than one-third.
The majorities of the populations of all 12 of the NATO nations surveyed in Europe and Turkey want their military forces in Afghanistan to be reduced or completely withdrawn - United Kingdom (60%), France (51%), Germany (57%), Italy (55%), Netherlands (50%), Poland (68%), Portugal (52%), Spain (54%), Slovakia (61%), Bulgaria (72%), Romania (61%), Turkey (50%).
The majority 55% of West Europeans and the majority 69% of East Europeans want to reduce or remove their troops from Afghanistan, with complete troop removal called for by 51% of Poles, 50% of Bulgarians, 48% of Romanians, 41% of Britons, and 41% of Germans.
Despite pressure from the Obama administration to increase their troop levels in Afghanistan, the public is strongly opposed in all 12 of the NATO ally countries surveyed. Over 3 out of every 4 people, 77%, in the 12 NATO countries surveyed in the Europe Union and Turkey oppose sending any more combat troops to Afghanistan. Fewer than 1 in 5 people, 19%, in the 12 NATO countries supported sending more combat troops.
(Source: German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends June 2009, 2010, and 2011 surveys)
The poll of the NATO countries, conducted in June 2009, about 2 months before the Afghan election
, also reported that a majority of Americans, 56%, were optimistic about stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, whereas the majority 62% of people in the 12 NATO countries in Europe and Turkey were not.
In the 2009 Pew Global Attitudes Project survey, again not a single one of the seven NATO allies surveyed had majority support for keeping U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Despite repeated American calls for their NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, there was majority or plurality opposition to such action in all seven of the NATO ally countries surveyed: Germany (63% disapprove), France (62%), Poland (57%), Canada (55%), Britain (51%), Spain (50%), and Turkey (49%).
The Transatlantic Trends June 2010 study by the German Marshall Fund of the United States found that pluralities in every one of the 12 NATO ally countries surveyed, and majorities in 11 out of 12 of them, want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan.
For the 12 European NATO countries surveyed as a whole, an overwhelming 70% majority think their country should begin to withdraw troops immediately (36%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (36%). Only a minority 23% think their troops should stay as long as it takes to "stabilize" Afghanistan. The majority 62% of the European NATO populations surveyed want a complete withdrawal of all of their troops (the 43% plurality) or a reduction of troops (19%). Only a minority 28% would keep the troop numbers at their current levels. Only a tiny 6% would agree to send more troops to Afghanistan.
For all 11 European NATO countries taken as a whole, the majority 66% of Europeans in the NATO countries surveyed want all or some of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan: the plurality 44% want all of their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, another 22% want some of their troops to be withdrawn to reduce the number there. Less than one in three, 29%, support maintaining the current number of troops in Afghanistan, and only 3% would support sending yet more troops.
In December 2010, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates
, acknowledged the opposition of the public in almost all countries:
The 24-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey in June 2008 again found that majorities or pluralities in 21 of 24 countries want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible. In only 3 out of the 24 countries - the U.S. (50%), Australia (60%), and Britain (48%) - did public opinion lean more toward keeping troops there until the situation has stabilized. Since then, public opinion in Australia and Britain has shifted, and the majority of Australians and Britons now also want their troops to be brought home from Afghanistan. Of the seven NATO countries in the survey, not one showed a majority in favor of keeping U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan - only one, the U.S., came close to a majority (50%). Of the other six NATO countries, five had clear majorities of their population wanting U.S. and NATO troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible.
The 25-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey in June 2009 continued to find that the war in Afghanistan is unpopular in most nations and that most publics want American and NATO troops out of Afghanistan. The 2009 global survey reported that majorities or pluralities in 18 out of 25 countries want U.S. and NATO to remove their military troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible. (Changes from 2008 included Tanzania, South Africa, and Australia having been replaced by Israel, Kenya, the Palestinian Territories, and Canada in the survey, and shifts in opinions in India and Nigeria.) In only 4 out of 25 countries was there a majority that favoured keeping U.S. and NATO military troops in Afghanistan - the U.S. (57%), Israel (59%), Kenya (56%), and Nigeria (52%). Despite American calls for NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, there was majority or plurality opposition to such action in every one of the NATO countries surveyed: Germany (63% opposition), France (62%), Poland (57%), Canada (55%), Britain (51%), Spain (50%), and Turkey (49%).
In Europe, polls in France, Germany, Britain, and other countries show that the European public want their troops to be pulled out and less money spent on the war in Afghanistan.
2011
- October 2011 United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 57% of Britons want all of their soldiers in Afghanistan brought home immediately. The majority 71% of Britons think the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable, an increase of 11% from June, and the majority 60% said the war was not worth the deaths of British soldiers - The head of the British military, General Sir David Richards, stated that the United Kingdom was in Afghanistan for its "own rather selfish national security". The majority 62% of Britons disagree that having British military forces in Afghanistan makes Britain a safer place - in fact, the majority 58% of Britons say their country's military intervention in Afghanistan actually increases the likelihood of a terrorist attack at home. The ITV News poll was conducted by ComRes.
- October 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: On the eve of the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, the majority 57% of Americans think their military should not be in Afghanistan, while only one in three believe fighting there is the right thing for the U.S. to do. The majority 69% of Americans say that the war has lasted longer than expected, and the majority 62% of Americans want the number of their troops in Afghanistan to be decreased immediately. Only 24% want the number to remain unchanged, and only 7% want to send more troops. Half of Americans, 50%, say the U.S.-led war has not been a success, while 39% think it has. Less than half, 47% think the decade-long war has made the U.S. safer from terrorism. Half of Americans do not think the war has made their country any safer: 40% think it has had no effect, while 10% think it has in fact made the U.S. less safe. The majority 52% of Americans do not think there will be any more violence after U.S. troops leave than there is now, while only 28% think there will be. The CBS News poll was conducted September 28 to October 2, 2011.
- October 2011 GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: More than two-thirds of Germans, the majority 68%, think the German military should never have been allowed to deploy to Afghanistan, while only 23% think the military deployment is still appropriate, showing the German public's strong disagreement with the actions of their politicians. The majority 70% of Germans no longer believe in the success of the military mission. Half, 50.4%, think they should leave when they have 'suitably concluded' their mission, and 44.2% of Germans want an immediate withdrawal of German troops from Afghanistan. The overwhelming majority of Germans, 78%, feel they have been misinformed by their government on Afghanistan, and only 12% thought that the government had provided them a clear picture of the situation. The YouGov/DPA poll was conducted September 30 - October 4, 2011. At the time of the poll, the number of German soldiers killed in the decade-long war stood at 52.
- September 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: At the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the longest period of sustained warfare in its history, the majority 52% of Americans think that, considering the costs versus the benefits to the United States, the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while 41% think it has. The poll also found that the majority 53% of U.S. military veterans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while 42% think it has. The Pew Research Center poll was conducted July 28 - September 15, 2011.
- August 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The large majority of Americans, 73%, want their country to withdraw troops from Afghanistan: The clear plurality 44% of Americans want their country to withdraw "all troops completely", and another 29% of Americans want the number of American troops in Afghanistan to be decreased. Only a minority 15% want the number of troops to remain unchanged, and only 8% want even more troops to be sent. The majority 57% think the initial decision to enter Afghanistan was the right one ten years ago, while 38% think it was a mistake. However, the majority 71% of Americans think the U.S. has since over-invested resources in its responses to 9/11 over the past decade, and the majority 59% think this over-investment has contributed to the country's current economic woes. The majority 66% of Americans think U.S. power and influence in the world has decreased compared to a decade ago, while only 12% thought it had increased. The majority 61% of Americans believe that heavy-handedness in trying to destroy terrorists "just breeds more hostility and more terrorists," and that it is necessary to address the causes of the hostility in the larger society. The majority 69% of Americans think that their country needs to work more closely with other countries. The University of Maryland / Knowledge Networks poll was conducted August 19-25, 2011.
- August 2011 FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority 76% of people in France oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, with 41% opposed and 35% very strongly opposed. The majority 75% of people in France want their government to bring home their troops before the currently-promised end-date of 2014: The plurality 44% of people want their troops withdrawn by the end of the year, another 31% want them withdrawn by 2012 or 2013, while only 25% want to wait until 2014. The IFOP/l'Humanité poll was conducted August 17-19, 2011, and showed the highest level of opposition recorded by the poll over the years, continuing a steady growth in opposition to the war. At the time of the poll, the French death toll from the war stood at 74, with 22 deaths so far in 2011.
- August 2011 CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: Three out of four Canadians, the majority 75%, think that the war in Afghanistan has not been worth its financial cost. The majority 60% of Canadians also do not believe that the "war on terror" is something that can be won. Only a minority 37% believe that the U.S. military actions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya have made Canada more safe and only a minority 35% believe that Canadian military actions in Afghanistan and Libya have made Canada more safe - The majority 6 in 10 Canadians are more concerned about a terrorist attack in their country now than they were before September 11, 2001. The Ipsos Reid poll was conducted August 26-30, 2011.
- August 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: A decade into the war, the majority 75% of Americans do not think the war in Afghanistan has lessened the risk of terrorism in their country, and only a minority 25% thought it had - Far more Americans, the plurality 37%, think the U.S. war in Afghanistan has in fact increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks in the U.S. The Pew Research Center poll was conducted August 17-21, 2011.
- August 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 77% of Americans think that leaving U.S. troops in Afghanistan another three years until the end of 2014 does not make the U.S. any safer than pulling them out sooner: 65% see no difference to the safety of the U.S. and 12% think that keeping the troops in Afghanistan makes the U.S. less safe. Only 19% thought that keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan until the end of 2014 makes the U.S. more safe. The majority 61% of Americans think that their government uses military force in other countries too often. The Reason-Rupe poll was conducted August 9-18, 2011.
- July 2011 New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
: The majority 63.3% of New Zealanders want their country's SASSAS- Special forces :* Special Air Service, a special forces unit of the British Army* Australian Special Air Service Regiment * New Zealand Special Air Service * Rhodesian Special Air Service...
soldiers brought home from Afghanistan in March as scheduled, while only 23.1% think they should stay longer. New Zealand's 38 SAS soldiers in Afghanistan are based in Kabul where they train an Afghan military unit. Prime Minister John KeyJohn KeyJohn Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
has repeatedly stated that he expects the troops to be brought home in March, and has said that the SAS were not U.S. guns for hire. New Zealand's Labour and Green parties oppose the SAS involvement in Afghanistan because they believe the foreign forces are helping a corrupt regime that does not have the trust or confidence of the Afghan people. The New Zealand Herald / DigiPoll survey was conducted in July.
- July 2011 CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority 58% of Canadians think their country's military involvement in Afghanistan is not worth it, while only 30% thought it was. The Leger survey was conducted July 25-27, 2011. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed by the war stood at 157.
- June 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 58% of Americans oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, and the overwhelming 79% majority of Americans - four in five - support the announced withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, starting with 10,000 in 2011 and another 20,000 by the end of summer 2012. In fact, the majority 59% of Americans want the withdrawal of their troops to take place even more quickly than was announced, calling for even more than one-third of the 100,000 U.S. troops to be withdrawn by the summer of 2012, within a year or so. Altogether, 85% of Americans want at least one-third of the 100,000 U.S. combat troops in Afghanistan to be withdrawn within a year, by the end of summer 2012. Only a minority 17% disapproved of the withdrawal plan, and only 35% thought the U.S. was doing "the right thing" in Afghanistan. The majority 71% of Americans do not think the withdrawal will increase the threat of terrorism against the U.S.: 65% think it will remain the same and 6% think it will decrease, while only 26% think it will increase. The New York Times / CBS poll was conducted June 24-28, 2011.
- June 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 72% of Americans favor the announced withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 - starting with 10,000 U.S. troops in 2011 and another 20,000 by the end of summer 2012 - while only 23% opposed the withdrawal. One-in-three Americans, 33%, want their country to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan sooner than that, 30% agree with the announced timetable, and 31% think no timetable should be set. The Gallup poll was conducted June 25-26, 2011.
- June 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 73% of Americans think the announced schedule of withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 is "about right" (44%) or "not quickly enough" (29%), while only 14% think it is "too quickly". The Washington Post / Pew Research Center poll was conducted June 23-26, 2011.
- June 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 56% of Americans want their country's troops brought home from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while 39% think they should be kept there "until the situation has stabilized". The majority 56% of Americans think it is unlikely that Afghanistan will be able to maintain a stable government after most U.S. forces leave that country, while 38% think it is likely. The Pew Research Center poll for People & the Press was conducted June 15-19, 2011.
- June 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 64% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be decreased, and the majority 51% of Americans think their country should not be engaging in war in Afghanistan. Only 22% said the number of troops should remain as it is, and only 8% said it should be increased. The CBS News poll was conducted June 3-7, 2011.
- June 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 62% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 36% support it - the highest level of opposition, and lowest level of support, recorded by the CNN poll which was first asked in 2006. The overwhelming majority 74% of Americans want some or all of their troops to be withdrawn now: The plurality 39% of Americans want all their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan now, and another 35% want some of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan now. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted June 3-7, 2011.
- June 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 73% of Americans want their country to withdraw a substantial number of troops from Afghanistan this summer, while only 23% think it should not. The majority 54% of Americans do not think the war in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, while 43% think it has. The plurality 48% of Americans think the targeted killing of Osama bin Laden has not changed the level of threat posed by al Qaeda, 27% think it has increased it, and 24% think it has decreased it. The Washington Post - ABC News poll was conducted June 2-5, 2011.
- June 2011 AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: The majority 72% of Australians want their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan. The Australian Defence Minister, Stephen Smith, however, insisted that the Australian military forces would remain there until 2014. The Yahoo7 poll was conducted in June 2011. At the time of the poll, the number of Australian soldiers killed in the decade-long war stood at 27.
- June 2011 AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: The majority 62% of Australians want all of their country's troops brought home from Afghanistan within six months, by Christmas 2011 at the latest. One in five Australians, 19%, want their troops pulled from Afghanistan immediately, and the plurality 43% of Australians want their troops home by Christmas. Only 35% agreed with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott that soldiers should stay in Afghanistan "as long as necessary". The Herald Sun / Galaxy poll was conducted June 1-2, 2011. At the time of the poll, the number of Australian soldiers killed in the war stood at 26, with the rate of fatalities increasing.
- June 2011 FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority 64% of the people of France want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: the plurality 44% of people in France want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 20% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Approximately one in three, 34%, support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 2% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 70% of Germans want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: the majority 51% of Germans want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 19% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Only one in four, 25%, support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 4% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
: The plurality 43% of Turks want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: 26% of Turks want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 17% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Approximately one in three, 34%, support maintaining the current number of troops, and 12% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
: The majority 63% of Bulgarians want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: the plurality 38% of Bulgarians want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 25% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Less than one in three, 31%, support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 1% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: The majority 65% of Italians want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: the plurality 39% of Italians want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 26% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Less than one in three, 31%, support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 2% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: The majority 73% of Poles want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: the majority 56% of Poles want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 17% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Less than one in five, 21%, support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 2% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
: The majority 58% of Portuguese people want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: 37% of Portuguese people want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 21% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. A minority 39% support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 3% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
: The majority 67% of Romanians want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: the plurality 42% of Romanians want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 25% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Less than one in three, 27%, support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 2% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
: The majority 64% of Slovaks want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: the plurality 33% of Slovaks want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 31% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Less than one in three, 29%, support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 2% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: The majority 57% of Spaniards want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: 37% of Spaniards want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 20% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. A minority 39% support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 3% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: The majority 55% of Dutch want the U.S. to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: 24% of the Dutch want all U.S. troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and 31% want some U.S. troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. 35% support maintaining the current number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and only 5% would support sending more U.S. troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 69% of Britons want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: the plurality 43% of Britons want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 26% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Only one in four, 25%, support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 3% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
: Under half, 48%, of Swedes support maintaining the current number of their troops in Afghanistan. On the other hand, 45% of Swedes want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: 23% of Swedes want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 22% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Only 6% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- June 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 66% of Americans want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan: the plurality 35% of Americans want all of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 31% want some of their troops withdrawn to reduce the number there. Only one in four, 25% support maintaining the current number of troops, and only 6% would support sending more troops. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends 2011 survey was conducted May 26 - June 20, 2011.
- May 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 59% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, with the plurality 32% of Americans "strongly" opposing it. Only 37% of Americans favor the war, the lowest level of support for the war recorded by the poll. The majority 80% of Americans approve of President Barack Obama's decision to end all U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014 and to begin the withdrawal of combat troops in July, with the plurality 52% "strongly" approving the ending of combat operations. Only a minority 15% disapproved, with only 8% "strongly" disapproving. The majority 83% of Americans think the announced pace of withdrawal is either about right or too slow, while only a 15% minority think it is too fast. The Associated Press - GfK poll was conducted May 5-9, 2011.
- May 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 59% of Americans believe it is time to end their country's longest war and leave Afghanistan. One week after the targeted killingTargeted killingTargeted killing is the deliberate, specific targeting and killing, by a government or its agents, of a supposed terrorist or of a supposed "unlawful combatant" who is not in that government's custody...
of Osama bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
by a specially-trained U.S. covert unit, three-in-five Americans think the decade-long war should be ended and their troops brought home. Only one-third think their country should continue to maintain American military forces in AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Not a single major demographic group had a majority that favoured keeping U.S. military forces in Afghanistan. The USA Today / Gallup poll was conducted May 5-8, 2011.
- May 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 52% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 42% support it. The majority 64% of Americans want some or all of their troops to be withdrawn now: 34% want some troops withdrawn from Afghanistan now, and another 30% want all American troops withdrawn from Afghanistan now. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted May 2, 2011.
- May 2011 FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority 55% of French citizens want their country's troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, while 43% think they should stay in that country. The BVA poll for 20 Minutes was conducted May 2-3, 2011 following the killing of Osama bin Laden by a specially-trained U.S. covert unit.
- April 2011 AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: A record number of Australians want their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan. The majority 59% of Australians oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan. The Lowy Institute poll was conducted March 30 - April 14, 2011. At the time of the poll was published in June, the number of Australian soldiers killed in the war stood at 27.
- April 2011 TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
: The overwhelming 75% majority of Turks want the U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only 6% support their presence there until the situation has "stabilized". The Pew Global Attitudes survey was conducted March 21 - April 12, 2011.
- April 2011 EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
: The overwhelming 78% majority of Egyptians think U.S. and NATO military troops should be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only 11% support their presence there until the situation has "stabilized". The Pew Global Attitudes survey was conducted March 24 - April 7, 2011.
- April 2011 JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
: The overwhelming 87% majority of Jordanians think U.S. and NATO military troops should be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only 9% support their presence there until the situation has "stabilized". The Pew Global Attitudes survey was conducted March 21 - April 7, 2011.
- April 2011 LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
: The majority of 71% of Lebanese think U.S. and NATO military troops should be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only 22% support their presence there until the situation has "stabilized". The Pew Global Attitudes survey was conducted March 21 - April 7, 2011.
- April 2011 IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
: The majority of 71% of Indonesians think U.S. and NATO military troops should be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only 12% support their presence there until the situation has "stabilized". The Pew Global Attitudes survey was conducted March 23 - April 6, 2011.
- April 2011 PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
: The majority of 68% of Pakistanis think U.S. and NATO military troops should be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only 6% support their presence there until the situation has "stabilized". The Pew Global Attitudes survey was conducted March 10 - April 26, 2011.
- April 2011 IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
: The majority of 58% of Israelis think U.S. and NATO military troops should be kept in Afghanistan "until the situation has stabilized", while only 28% think they should be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". The Pew Global Attitudes survey was conducted March 22 - April 5, 2011.
- March 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: In growing opposition to the war, nearly three-quarters of Americans want President Obama to withdraw a "substanstial number" of combat troops from Afghanistan this summer - the majority 73% of Americans want a substantial number of troops pulled, while only 21% do not. 39% of Americans actually expect him to do so, but 53% do not think he will. Nearly two-thirds of Americans now say that the war in Afghanistan is no longer worth fighting, the highest level of American opposition to the war to date - the majority 64% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, while only 31% think it is - the lowest level of support to date. Nearly half of Americans, the plurality 49%, "strongly" think the war is not worth fighting, while only 17% strongly think it is. The Washington Post / ABC News poll was conducted March 10-13, 2011.
- February 2011 CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: Canadians oppose the war in Afghanistan by a 2-to-1 margin. The majority 63% of Canadians oppose the war in Afghanistan, while only a minority 32% support it - the lowest level of support yet found by the poll in question. The Angus Reid poll was conducted February 22-28, 2011.
- February 2011 United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Britons oppose the war in Afghanistan by a 2-to-1 margin. The majority 60% of Britons oppose the war in Afghanistan, while only a minority 31% support it. The Angus Reid poll was conducted February 22-28, 2011.
- February 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: In a statistical tie, under half of Americans, 47%, support the war while an equal number of Americans, 46%, oppose the war. The Angus Reid poll was conducted February 22-28, 2011.
- February 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 54% of Americans think their country is wrong to be fighting the war in Afghanistan and should not be there, while only 37% support the war. The New York Times / CBS News poll was conducted February 11-14, 2011.
- February 2011 FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority 72% of French citizens oppose the American-led war in Afghanistan, while only 28% support it. The IFOP poll for l'Humanité was conducted February 9-14, 2011.
- February 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Half of Americans (50%) oppose the American war in Afghanistan, and half (50%) support it. Among Democrat voters, 54% oppose the American war while 46% support it. Among Republican voters, the majority 65% of Republican voters favor the war, while 35% oppose it. The IFOP poll for l'Humanité was conducted February 9-14, 2011.
- January 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 58% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 40% support it. The 71% majority of Democrat voters and 59% majority of independent voters oppose the U.S. war, while the majority 58% of Republican voters favor the war. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted January 21-23, 2011.
- January 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The overwhelming 72% majority of Americans want the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan to be accelerated, while only a minority 25% disagree. The clear plurality of Americans, 41%, "strongly" favor speeding up the withdrawal from Afghanistan, while only a very small 6% minority "strongly" oppose doing so. Clear majorities across the political spectrum want their government to speed up the withdrawal including 86% of Democrats, 72% of independents, and 61% of Republicans. The USA Today / Gallup poll was conducted January 14-16, 2011.
- January 2011 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority two-thirds (66%) of self-identified conservative voters and Tea PartyTea Party movementThe Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
supporters call for either a reduction of U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan (the 39% plurality) or a complete withdrawal "as soon as possible" (27%). Only a minority 24% think that the current levels of troops should be maintained. The majority 71% of conservative voters, including over two-thirds of Tea Party supporters, are worried that the war's cost to American taxpayers - $120 billion spent on the war in 2010 - will make it more difficult to reduce the U.S. deficit next year and balance the U.S. federal budget in the next decade.
- January 2011 NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: The overwhelming 70% majority of Dutch oppose the new military training mission in Afghanistan that their government is trying to propose, and only a minority 25% would support it - a significant increase of opposition from another Maurice de Hond poll that was reported only days earlier. The bulk of the contingent, 450 out of 545, would be made up of soldiers. The poll, reported on January 10, 2011, found that not one of the major political parties had majority support for the proposed extension. Even half of the ruling VVDPeople's Party for Freedom and DemocracyThe People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
party's voters oppose the proposal, and for the other ruling party, Christian Democratic AppealChristian Democratic AppealThe Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
, opposition is even higher, with a majority 53% of CDA voters now against the proposed mission.
- January 2011 NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: The majority 58% of Dutch oppose the new military training mission in Afghanistan that their government is trying to propose, while only 34% would support it. The Maurice de Hond poll that was reported on January 6, 2011 showed that the majorities of voters for the Labour, Socialist, GroenLinks, Liberal VVD and PVV parties are all opposed to the latest proposed extension, while only supporters of one party, the Christian Democrats, support it.
2010
- December 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Opposition by the American public to the war in Afghanistan reached an all-time high in polling by ABC News and the Washington Post. A record 60% majority of Americans say the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while only 34% say it has, a new record low. Furthermore, the plurality of Americans, a record 43%, "strongly" feel the war has not been worth fighting, while only a 16% minority "strongly" feel it has, a new record low. The unpopularity of the war has now reached that of the war in Iraq. The overwhelming 81% majority of Americans want the withdrawal of American military forces to begin within a few months - either in the summer of 2011 as pledged by President Obama, or even sooner than that: The majority 54% of Americans want the withdrawal to begin in the summer as pledged, while an additional 27% want the withdrawal to begin even before the summer. Only a minority 12% think the withdrawal should begin later. The ABC News / Washington Post poll was conducted December 9-12, 2010. At around the time of the poll's publication, the number of American soldiers killed in the war stood at 1,443, including nearly 500 killed in 2010 and close to 4,500 wounded in 2010 alone.
- December 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: More than six in ten Americans oppose their country's war in Afghanistan as the unpopularity of war continues to grow in the United States. The majority 63% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in that country, a new all time-high in polling by CNN / Opinion Research, while only 35% support it, a new all-time low in support. The majority 56% of Americans think things are going badly for the U.S. in the war. In the continued partisan divide, the three-quarters majority of Democrat voters oppose the war, as do more than six in ten independent voters, while 52% of Republicans, and 52% of Tea Party supporters, support continuation of the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted December 17-19, 2010.
- December 2010 United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 57% of Britons oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, while only 34% support it. The majority 57% of Britons believe it was a mistake to have sent military forces to Afghanistan. The majority 63% of Britons see a role for the Taliban in the Afghan government as the most likely outcome of the war: 33% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a small role in the Afghan government, 19% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a significant role in the Afghan government, and 11% expect the Taliban will defeat the foreign military forces. Only 8% believe the U.S.-led forces will have a clear victory over the Taliban. Over half of Britons (52%) think their government has provided too little information about the war, while only 31% think it has provided the right amount. The level of "strong opposition" to the war outranked "strong support" by a 3-to-1 margin. The majority 55% of Britons incorrectly thought the number of British soldiers killed by the war to be under 300. The Angus Reid poll was conducted December 7-9, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed by the war stood at 346.
- December 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Americans continue to be divided over the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, with 45% supporting and 45% opposing it. The plurality 49% of Americans say the U.S. government has been providing them too little information about the war in Afghanistan, and more than half, 54%, say they do not know what their country's war in Afghanistan is all about. The plurality 38% of Americans expect the war to eventually come to a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a role in the Afghan government, while only 16% still expect a clear military victory by the U.S.-led foreign military forces. The Angus Reid poll was conducted December 3-5, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of American soldiers killed in the war stood at 1,413.
- October 2010 SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
: The plurality 47% of Swedes want their country to bring its troops home from Afghanistan, while only 36% think they should stay there. The Sifo poll for Aftonbladet was conducted October 18, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of Swedish soldiers killed in the war stood at five.
- October 2010 United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Public opposition in Britain to involvement in the war in Afghanistan reached a high point - the majority 60% of Britons oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, while only 32% support it. The majority 60% of Britons think it was a mistake for their country to have sent military forces into Afghanistan, while only one-in-four thought it was not. The majority 62% of Britons see a role for the Taliban in the Afghan government as the most likely outcome of the war: 31% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a small role in the Afghan government, 20% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a significant role in the Afghan government, and 11% expect the Taliban will defeat the foreign military forces. Only 8% believe the U.S.-led forces will have a clear victory over the Taliban. Half of Britons (49%) think their government has provided too little information about the war, while only 30% think it has provided the right amount. The level of "strong opposition" to the war outranked "strong support" by a 4-to-1 margin. The Angus Reid poll was conducted October 13-14, 2010.
- October 2010 CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority 55% of Canadians oppose their country's involvement in the war in Afghanistan, while only 35% support it, the lowest level of support recorded by the poll in question in the past two years. The plurality 34% of Canadians have "strong opposition" to involvement in the war, three times higher than the number in "strong support", standing at only 11%. The Angus Reid poll was conducted October 13-14, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 152.
- October 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Americans are divided over the war in Afghanistan with 47% supporting and 45% opposing, a statistical tie within the poll's 3.1% margin of error. Likewise, 37% of Americans think the war was a mistake, and 37% thought it was not. Half of Americans, 51%, say they do not know what the nine-year war is about, while 49% claim they do. Less than one-in-five, 19%, of Americans expect a clear military victory for the U.S.-led forces, while nearly half, 46%, expect the Taliban to have some kind of role in the Afghan government as an outcome of the war: the plurality 28% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a small role in government, 12% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a significant role, and 6% expect the Taliban will defeat the foreign military forces in Afghanistan. The Angus Reid poll was conducted October 15-17, 2010.
- October 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 6 in 10 Americans believe the U.S. war in Afghanistan is now a lost cause, up from 55% in July. Heading into a tenth year, only 31% still think the U.S. can win the war. The Bloomberg National Poll was conducted October 7-10, 2010.
- October 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 58% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 37% favor it, the lowest level of support measured by the poll. The majority 52% of Americans think the U.S. war in Afghanistan, heading into a tenth year, has turned into a situation like the Vietnam War, while 39% think it has not. The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted October 5-7, 2010.
- September 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 58% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 39% favor it. The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted September 21-23, 2010.
- September 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 57% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while 41% favor it. The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted September 1-2, 2010.
- September 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 54% of Americans think the U.S. should not be involved in Afghanistan, while only 38% think it should. 55% of Americans think things are going badly for the U.S. in Afghanistan, while 38% believe things are going well. The New York Times / CBS News poll was conducted September 10-14, 2010. The poll results represented the highest level of opposition to the U.S. war, and lowest level of support, measured by the poll in the 5 times the question was asked beginning one year ago.
- August 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The plurality 48% of Americans oppose U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, while only 43% think their country should be involved in that nation. In the continued partisan split, the majority of Republicans think the U.S. should be involved in that country, while the majority of Democrats think their country should not be involved there. 52% of Americans think things are going badly for the U.S. in Afghanistan, while 37% believe things are going well. The CBS News poll was conducted August 20-24, 2010.
- August 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Nearly six in 10 Americans oppose the nine-year-old U.S. war in Afghanistan. The majority 58% of Americans oppose their country's expanded war in Afghanistan, the highest level of opposition since the AP/GfK poll has been conducted, while only 38% supported it, the lowest level of support since the poll has been conducted. The plurality 35% of Americans "strongly oppose" the war in Afghanistan, while only 17% "strongly favor" it. The AP-GfK poll was conducted August 11-16, 2010. At the time of the poll, over 1,100 American soldiers had been killed in the war in Afghanistan, including 66 in the month of July and 60 in the month of June, the highest monthly death tolls of U.S. troops in the war to date.
- August 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The unpopularity of the U.S. war in Afghanistan reached an all-time high in CNN polling. The majority 62% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, the highest level since the poll question was asked in 2006, while only 37% favored the U.S. war, an all-time low. The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted August 6-10, 2010.
- August 2010 CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority of Canadians reject their country's military participation in Afghanistan. The majority 53% of Canadians oppose the military operation in Afghanistan, while only 39% support it. The Angus Reid poll was conducted August 5-6, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 151.
- August 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Americans are divided over the U.S war in Afghanistan. In a statistical tie within the poll's 3.1% margin of error, 47% support the war, while 42% oppose it. The Angus Reid poll was conducted August 4-5, 2010. At the time of the poll, at least 2,002 soldiers - including 1,227 American soldiers - had been killed by the war.
- August 2010 CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: Almost 80% of Canadians, or four out of five Canadians, want the mission in Afghanistan to end next year. A minority of less than one in four think the mission should be extended. The majority 57% of Canadians want the troops brought home to Canada after pulling out of Afghanistan in 2011. Only a minority 30% would support letting some Canadian troops remain in a training capacity only, and only 12% want the troops to otherwise stay in Afghanistan. The Ipsos Reid poll was conducted July 30 - August 4, 2010.
- August 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 57% of Americans want a time-table to be set for removing troops from Afghanistan and to stick to that time-table no matter what. Only 38% think American military forces should be kept in that country until the situation "gets better". 62% think things are going badly for the U.S in Afghanistan, while 34% think they are going well. The USA Today/Gallup poll was conducted July 27 - August 1, 2010.
- August 2010 NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
: Half of Norwegians want their government to pull their troops out of Afghanistan, in a dramatic drop of support. The plurality 49.4% of Norwegians want the withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan, while 36% thought the soldiers should stay there. The InFact poll was conducted at the beginning of August 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of Norwegian soldiers killed by the war stood at 9.
- July 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 58% of Americans want their troops withdrawn from the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan within the next one or two years. Only a minority 35% of Americans are willing to have U.S. troops stay longer than two years from now. One-third, 33%, of Americans think large numbers of U.S. troops should be withdrawn in less than a year, another 23% think that should be done within one or two years, and 2% want an immediate withdrawal. The majority 54% of Americans want a timetable to be set for withdrawal from Afghanistan, while 41% do not. Only 26% of Americans think U.S. troops should remain for as long as it takes. The majority 62% of Americans think the war is going badly for the United States, up from 49% in May, while 31% still believe it is going well. The CBS News poll was conducted July 9–12, 2010.
- July 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Support for the war in Afghanistan hit a new low again in the United States. The three-quarters majority of Americans, 76%, want to start withdrawing troops by next summer or sooner: 45% call Obama's plan to start withdrawing troops by next summer "about right", and an additional 31% call for the withdrawal to start even sooner. Only 18% think the withdrawal should start later. The majority 53% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, with the plurality 38% of Americans "strongly" feeling so. Only 43% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, down sharply since the end of the previous year, and the lowest since the question was asked in February 2007. The plurality 44% of Americans think the war has not contributed to their country's long-term security, 28% thought it had "somewhat", and 25% thought it had a "great deal". The ABC News / Washington Post poll was conducted July 7–11, 2010.
- July 2010 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The overwhelming 70% majority of people in France oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, while only 29% support it. The Ifop-Humanité poll was conducted July 8, 2010.
- June 2010 NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: The overwhelming majority 79% of Dutch citizens want their country to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan starting either immediately (35%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (44%). Only 20% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. The majority 64% of Dutch citizens want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 46% plurality), or the number reduced (18%). 31% support keeping the number at current levels, and only 4% support a troop increase. The Transatlantic Trends survey by the German Marshall Fund of the United States was conducted over the month of June.
- June 2010 ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: The overwhelming majority 79% of Italians want their country to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan starting either immediately (35%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (44%). Only 20% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. The majority 59% of Italians want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 35% plurality), or the number reduced (24%). 34% support keeping the number at current levels, and only 4% support a troop increase. The Transatlantic Trends survey by the German Marshall Fund of the United States was conducted over the month of June.
- June 2010 United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 73% of Britons want their country to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan starting either immediately (33%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (40%). Only 26% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. The majority 65% of Britons want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 40% plurality), or the number reduced (25%). Only 27% support keeping the number at current levels, and only 7% support a troop increase. The Transatlantic Trends survey by the German Marshall Fund of the United States was conducted over the month of June.
- June 2010 GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The overwhelming majority 79% of Germans want their country to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan starting either immediately (35%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (44%). Only 20% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. The majority 67% of Germans want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 50% plurality), or the number reduced (17%). Only 24% support keeping the number at current levels, and only 7% support a troop increase. The Transatlantic Trends survey by the German Marshall Fund of the United States was conducted over the month of June.
- June 2010 FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority 75% of French citizens want their country to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan starting either immediately (36%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (39%). Only 23% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. The majority 57% of French citizens want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 40% plurality), or the number reduced (17%). 37% support keeping the number at current levels, while only 4% support an increase. The Transatlantic Trends survey by the German Marshall Fund of the United States was conducted over the month of June.
- June 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 54% of Americans want their country to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan starting either immediately (21%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (33%). On the other hand, 45% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that the American military should stay as long as it takes. However, the same poll also found that the majority 58% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be either kept the same (33%) or increased (25%), while 41% want either the number of U.S. troops to be either reduced (22%) or all U.S. troops to be withdrawn (19%). The Transatlantic Trends survey by the German Marshall Fund of the United States was conducted over the month of June.
- June 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Only a minority 12% of Americans think the United States is winning the war in Afghanistan, and the majority 70% of Americans think the United States will eventually withdraw from Afghanistan without winning. The plurality 48% of Americans favor decreasing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, yet 70% expect that at the end of 2012, the United States will still have the same number of troops there as now (43%) or more (27%). Only 14% of Americans think that most Afghans want U.S. troops to stay in their country - The plurality 38% of Americans think most Afghans want the U.S. troops to leave their country, and another 34% think Afghans are about equally divided about wanting U.S. troops to stay in or leave their country. Yet a majority 52% of Americans favor keeping the same number of troops (22%) or increasing the number of troops(30%) in Afghanistan. The plurality 45% think former President George W. Bush bears "most" of the responsibility for the current situation in Afghanistan, and a plurality 34% think President Obama also bears "some" of the responsibility. The poll.
- June 2010 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 65% of Americans favor President Barack Obama's timetable calling for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan beginning in July 2011 (58%) or even earlier (7%). A minority 30% feel there should not be a timetable at all (29%) or that the withdrawal should begin later (1%). The Gallup poll for USA Today was conducted June 25–26, 2010.
- June 2010 AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: Australians are growing increasingly frustrated with the war in Afghanistan and nearly two-thirds of Australians want their government to withdraw their country's military from Afghanistan. The majority 60% of Australians want their troops withdrawn from the war in Afghanistan, while only a minority one in four think they should stay at their current level. Demand for a withdrawal was from both sides of the political landscape. Both the majority 61% of Labor supporters and the majority 55% of Coalition supporters want their troops to be withdrawn. The poll conducted by Essential Research was published by coincidence on the same day that three Australian commandos were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan, bringing the number of Australian military deaths in the war to 16.
- June 2010 CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: Opposition to the war in Afghanistan reached a record high in Canada. The majority 59% of Canadians oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, up from 56% in April, and the highest level of opposition registered yet for the question used. Support fell to 37% from 39% in April. "Strong opposition" to Canada's involvement in the war, held by the plurality of Canadians, increased to 33%, while "strong support" dropped down to a minority of only 13%. Nearly half of Canadians, 48%, believe it was a mistake to send military forces to Afghanistan, while 34% thought it was not. The plurality 30% of Canadians think the war will eventually end in a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a small role in the Afghan government, 13% see the Taliban having a significant role in the Afghan government, 16% think the U.S.-led forces will be militarily defeated, while only 6% continue to expect a clear military victory for the U.S.-led forces. The majority 57% of Canadians also think that their government has not been providing enough information on the war in Afghanistan. The Angus Reid poll was conducted June 11–12, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 147.
- June 2010 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 53% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, and the plurality 41% of Americans "strongly" think that it has not been worth fighting. A minority 44% of Americans think that the war being carried out in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, with only a minority 26% of Americans that feel that way strongly. In a continuation of the strong dichotomy between Republicans and Democrats, the majority 62% of Republicans think the almost-nine-year war imposed on Afghanistan has been worth its costs to the U.S., while the majority two-thirds, 66%, of Democrats and 53% of independents think it has not been worth fighting. In fact, the majority 54% of Democrat Americans "strongly" think that the war has not been worth fighting. The ABC News / Washington Post poll was conducted June 3–6, 2010.
- June 2010 - ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
: The large majority of Argentinians, 74%, want the U.S.-led military forces removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". Only a tiny 6% minority believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: The majority 53% of Japanese want the U.S.-led military forces removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while a 35% minority believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
: The majority 61% of Mexicans want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only an 18% minority believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
: The overwhelming majority of Egyptians, 81%, want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". Only a 15% minority believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
: 44% of Nigerians believe the U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan should continue until the situation stabilizes, while nearly as many, 41%, want the U.S.-led military forces removed from that country as soon as possible. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: The plurality of Spaniards, 49%, want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while 43% think the U.S.-led military forces should stay in that country until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
: The majority 65% of Pakistanis want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only a very small 7% minority believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Under half, 49%, of Britons think the U.S.-led forces should stay in Afghanistan until the situation stabilizes, while almost as many Britons, 45%, want their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
: The majority 54% of Chinese think the U.S.-led military forces should be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only an 18% minority believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority of people in France, 52%, want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". 47% think the U.S.-led military forces should stay in that country until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: 44% of Poles want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while 42% believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
: The plurality 46% of Brazilians want the U.S.-led military forces removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while 37% believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
: The overwhelming majority of Jordanians, 81%, want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". Only a 13% minority believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
: Under half, 42%, of Indians, the plurality, believe the U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan should continue until the situation stabilizes, while 35% want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from that country "as soon as possible". The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
: The majority 67% of Turks want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only an 11% minority believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
: The majority 62% of Indonesians want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only a 19% minority believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
: Just under half, 49%, of South Koreans believe the U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan should continue until the situation stabilizes, while 38% want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from that country "as soon as possible". The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
: The majority 53% of Russians think the U.S.-led military forces should be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only 24% believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 58% of Germans want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while 40% believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
: The majority 69% of Lebanese want the U.S.-led military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while only 21% believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
: The majority of Kenyans, 57%, believe the U.S.-led military presence in that country should continue until the situation stabilizes, while only a 25% minority want the U.S.-led military forces removed as soon as possible. The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Americans are divided on their country's military activities in Afghanistan. Under half, 48%, of Americans think the U.S.-led forces should stay in that country until the situation stabilizes, while almost as many Americans, 45%, want their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". The Pew Global Attitudes poll was released June 17, 2010.
- June 2010 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Half of Americans, 50%, support their country's military activities in the country of Afghanistan, while 43% oppose them. 50% also acknowledge that they do not have a clear idea of what their country's military activity in Afghanistan is all about. Less than half, 40%, think their country did the right thing in sending their military force into Afghanistan, while almost a third, 32% feel it was a mistake. The Angus Reid online poll was conducted June 8–9, 2010.
- June 2010 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 55% of Britons oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, while 38% support it. The majority 56% of Britons also believe their country erred in sending military forces to Afghanistan almost nine years ago. Asked about the eventual outcome of the war, the plurality 34% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a small role in the Afghan government, 15% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a significant role in the Afghan government, 11% expect a clear victory by the U.S.-led military forces, and 10% expect their defeat. The Angus Reid poll was conducted June 4–7, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 292.
- May 2010 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: The majority of Australians remain opposed to their country's military involvement in Afghanistan. The majority 54% of Australians want their country to not "continue to be involved militarily in Afghanistan, up from 51% in 2009, while 43% thought it should, down 3% from 2009. The majority 55% said they were not confident that their country's aims in Afghanistan were clear, and only a minority 26% thought the war in Afghanistan was "the greatest threat to Australia's security at the moment". The annual poll reflected the third year in a row with majority Australian opposition to their country's military involvement in Afghanistan. (In 2007, the poll found Australians divided on the issue, with 46% opposed and 46% in support.) The 2010 Lowy Institute Poll released May 31, 2010 was conducted in March 2010.
- May 2010 - New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
: Over three quarters of New Zealanders, a large 77% majority, want a total or partial withdrawal of their country's troops from Afghanistan. The plurality 40% of New Zealanders call for a total withdrawal of their military forces from Afghanistan, 37% call for a partial withdrawal. Only a small 10% minority wanted all troops to stay there. New Zealand's military contigent in Afghanistan consists of 70 SAS soldiers based in Kabul. The Research New Zealand poll was conducted May 18–25, 2010.
- May 2010 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 56% of Americans oppose their country's war in Afghanistan, while 42% support it. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted May 21–23, 2010.
- April 2010 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 52% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while 44% think it has. The largest group, 38%, of Americans "strongly" think that the war has not been fighting, while only a minority 26% "strongly" think it has. In a continuation of the strong dichotomy between Republicans and Democrats, the majority 69% of Republicans think the almost-nine-year war imposed on Afghanistan has been worth its costs to the U.S., while the majority 66% of Democrats and 56% of independents think it has not been worth fighting. Half, 50%, of Democrats "strongly" think that the war has not been worth fighting. The ABC News / Washington Post poll was conducted April 22–25, 2010.
- April 2010 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Over three in four Britons, a large 77% majority, call for the withdrawal of their country's military forces from Afghanistan, and an end to British combat operations there, within a year. Less than one in seven disagree. The numbers reiterated the findings from six months before in November 2009 when the large 71% majority of Britons called for the withdrawal of their troops within a year, and when almost half called for an immediate withdrawal. The majority 51% of Britons think that the continued presence of British troops in Afghanistan increases, rather than diminishes, the risk of terrorism in the United Kingdom. The IoS/ComRes poll was conducted April 16–17, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 281.
- April 2010 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Half of Americans support their country's military activities in the country of Afghanistan, while 39% oppose them. The Angus Reid online poll was conducted April 14–15, 2010.
- April 2010 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 59% of Britons oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, and less than a third, 32%, support the operation. The majority 60% of Britons also believe their country erred in sending military forces to Afghanistan almost nine years ago. Asked about the eventual outcome of the war, the plurality 32% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a small role in the Afghan government, 16% expect a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a significant role in the Afghan government, 12% expect a clear victory by the U.S.-led military forces, and 9% expect their defeat. The Angus Reid poll was conducted April 9–12, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 281.
- April 2010 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 62% of Germans want their troops to be brought home from the war in Afghanistan. The Stern-Forsa poll was conducted April 8–9, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of German soldiers killed in the war stood at 43.
- March 2010 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The overwhelming 79% majority of Canadians oppose their troops staying in Afghanistan in a combat mission beyond the end of next year, rejecting the U.S. request for Canada to reconsider its decision to withdraw its troops in 2011. Less than one in five, only 16%, would support such an extension. The majority 80% of Canadians think the violence in Afghanistan will be same (50%) or worse (30%) at the end of 2011, while only 6% think there will be a decrease in the violence. The Angus Reid poll was conducted March 30–31, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 141.
- February 2010 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 63% of Britons want their next government, to be elected in a general election expected in May, to commit to removing their country's armed forces from Afghanistan by the end of this year. The majority 64% of Britons also think the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable. The response to the question was virtually unchanged from November 2009, suggesting that Operation MoshtarakOperation MoshtarakOperation Moshtarak was an ISAF pacification offensive in the area that is described as the "poppy-growing belt" of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. The combat operations started on February 13, 2010, and focuses on the Nad Ali District and Lashkar Gah district...
, the massive 15,000-strong military offensive, has not swayed public opinion. The Newsnight / ComRes poll was conducted February 19–21, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 263.
- February 2010 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: The majority two-thirds of the Dutch, 66%, think Deputy Prime Minister and Labour leader Wouter BosWouter BosWouter Jacob Bos is a Dutch management consultant and former politician of the Labour Party . He was Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Balkenende IV from February 22, 2007 till February 23, 2010...
is correct in firmly opposing another extension and insisting on the withdrawal of Dutch troops from Afghanistan by the end of year, as scheduled and as had been promised. Bos stated: "By the end of this year, the last soldier should have left Uruzghan. We're keeping our promise to the Dutch people." The plurality 49% of Dutch voters want their troops withdrawn and the mission completely ended, while 38% supported looking at other options. The Synovate poll for NRC was conducted February 17–18, 2010.
- February 2010 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 52% of Britons oppose the war in Afghanistan, and the majority 55% believe their country made a mistake in sending military forces to Afghanistan. The majority 55% of Britons also state they have a clear idea of what the war in Afghanistan is about, but at the same time almost half of Britons, 47%, feel that the British government has not been giving them sufficient information about the war. Only 29% think the government has provided the correct amount of information. The Angus Reid poll was conducted February 16–17, 2010.
- February 2010 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 54% of Americans support the U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, while 38% oppose the war. Just under half, 48%, think the U.S. did the right thing in sending its military forces to Afghanistan. 33% thought it was a mistake, and 19% were not sure. The Angus Reid poll was conducted February 16–17, 2010.
- February 2010 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: 49% of Canadians oppose the military operation in Afghanistan, while 47% support it. The majority 53% of Canadians think their government provides too little information about the war in Afghanistan, while only 29% think it has provided the right amount of information. The Angus Reid poll was conducted February 16–17, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 140.
- February 2010 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: The majority 58% of Dutch want their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, while 35% support keeping them there. At the time of the poll, the number of Dutch soldiers killed in the war stood at 21.
- February 2010 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: According to a monthly poll by the Dutch ministry of defence, only 33% of Dutch people support the Dutch military participation in Afghanistan, while 36% oppose it.
- February 2010 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The overwhelming 80% majority of Canadians want their military to leave Afghanistan as scheduled in 2011. The Harris-Decima poll was conducted February 1–10, 2010.
- January 2010 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: Just under half, 49%, of respondents in the Netherlands support their country's military role in Afghanistan, while nearly as many, 45%, do not. The margin of error of the poll was not reported. The Maurice de Hond poll was conducted January 30, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of Dutch soldiers killed in the war stood at 21.
- January 2010 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: Nearly two-thirds of Germans and majorities amongst all political party groups reject the increase of German troops in Afghanistan. The majority 65% of Germans oppose sending more of their country's soldiers to Afghanistan, while only 29% support it. Their government, however, announced a further increase. The large majority of Germans, 76%, think the US-led military effort in Afghanistan will fail, while only 18% think it will succeed. The Politbarometer/Mannheim poll for public broadcaster ZDF was conducted January 26–28, 2010.
- January 2010 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority 56% of French voters want their country's troops to leave Afghanistan, while 41% disagree. The majority 85% of French voters think the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating, while a minority 13% believe it is improving. The BVA/Canal+ poll was conducted January 26–27, 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of French soldiers killed in the war stood at 39.
- January 2010 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 52% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while 47% support it, a statistical tie within the poll's margin of error of 3 percentage points. The remaining 1% had no opinion. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted January 22–24, 2010.
- January 2010 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: An overwhelming 80% majority of people in France oppose sending any more of their country's troops to Afghanistan, while only a minority 20% support doing so. The Ifop-Humanité poll was conducted January 20–22, 2010. The poll was published as a conference on Afghanistan opened in London, and Britain's Sky News reported French President Nicolas SarkozyNicolas SarkozyNicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
saying "France will not send another single soldier".
- January 2010 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: An overwhelming 80% majority of Germans oppose sending any more German troops to Afghanistan. The Forsa Institute poll was conducted January 20–21, 2010. Despite knowing this, German Chancellor Angela MerkelAngela MerkelAngela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
announced a week after the poll that she would deploy yet another 500 troops to Afghanistan, with still another 350 on stand-by. Even among supporters of her own political party, the majority 77% opposed sending more soldiers, while among supporters of the other political party forming her center-right coalition, opposition to sending more soldiers was even stronger still at 86%. The majority 70% of Germans demand a withdrawal by 2015: The plurality 32% of Germans call for an immediate withdrawal, another 24% call for a withdrawal by the end of 2011, 14% want a deadline of 2015. Only 25% said they should remain longer.
- January 2010 - Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
: The majority 53.7% of Czechs oppose sending any more of their country's troops to Afghanistan as their government has proposed. The SANEP poll was conducted January 5–21, 2010.
- January 2010 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 54% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 43% support it. The plurality of Americans, 32%, "strongly oppose" the war in Afghanistan, while only 18% "strongly favor" it. The remaining 3% did not know. The majority 55% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 41% would support doing so. The plurality 34% of Americans "strongly oppose" sending any more troops, while only 17% "strongly favor" doing so. The AP/GfK poll was conducted January 12–17, 2010.
- January 2010 - DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
: Support for military involvement in Afghanistan slipped below 50% in Denmark. A plurality 48.7% of Danes support the military operation, while 41.1% of Danes want their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, and 10.2% are undecided. The Jyllans-Posten / Ramboell Analyse poll was conducted January 11–14, 2010.
- January 2010 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 59% of Britons oppose sending any more of their country's troops to Afghanistan, while a minority 41% support doing so. The Ifop-Humanité poll was conducted January 8–12, 2010.
- January 2010 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: A new record number of Germans want their country to pull its military from Afghanistan immediately. The majority 71% of Germans want their country's troops withdrawn from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", and only a minority 27% support the military involvement in Afghanistan. An overwhelming 83% of Germans oppose their government sending any more troops to Afghanistan. The ARD/Infratest poll was conducted January 4–5, 2010. On January 6, 2010, U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan Richard HolbrookeRichard HolbrookeRichard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker....
again pressured Germany to send more troops, while German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu GuttenbergKarl-Theodor zu GuttenbergKarl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg is a German politician of the Christian Social Union ....
announced that a decision would be made by the end of the month, but warned that it was likely to disappoint the United States.
2009
- December 2009 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: The majority 76% of Poles want a withdrawal of their country's military from Afghanistan, with many seeing little hope for a successful conclusion. The public opinion poll was conducted in December 2009. At the end of December, the number of Polish soldiers killed in the war stood at 15.
- December 2009 - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: Nearly half of all Spaniards oppose their government's decision to send another 500 more troops to Afghanistan. The plurality 48% of Spaniards consider their government's decision to be "bad" or "very bad", while only 22% considered it to be "good" or "very good". Another 26% consider the decision "normal" among the choice of responses available to them in the poll. The El Mundo poll was conducted Dec. 23-29, 2009.
- December 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 55% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while 43% support it. A remaining 3% had no opinion. The CNN - Opinion Research poll was conducted Dec. 16-20, 2009.
- December 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 58% of Americans feel less confident that the war in Afghanistan will come to a successful conclusion, while only 30% feel more confident. The majority 56% of Americans think it is unlikely that U.S. troops will begin to withdraw from Afghanistan in 18 months - as announced by the U.S. president - while only 39% think it is likely. In a statistical tie within the poll's 3.1% margin of error, 55% of Americans support increasing troops levels in Afghanistan, while 49% oppose sending more troops. Also in a statistical tie within the poll's 3.1% margin of error, 44% think the U.S. president's plan is the right approach, while 41% think it is the wrong approach. The NBC / Wall Street Journal poll was conducted Dec. 11-14, 2009.
- December 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 56% of Americans continue to oppose sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while just 42% favor it, compared to 54% opposition and 43% support in November, despite the U.S. president's early December announcement of sending another 30,000 U.S. troops to the war. The majority 57% of Americans also continue to oppose the war in Afghanistan, while only 39% support it, unchanged from November despite the president's speech. The AP-GfK poll was conducted Dec. 10-14, 2009.
- December 2009 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The overwhelming 82% majority of the French people are opposed to their government sending more French troops to Afghanistan, while only 17% support doing so. The U.S. has asked France to send 1,500 more troops to the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. The Ifop / Sud-Ouest Dimanche poll was conducted Dec. 3-4, 2009.
- December 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 56% of Britons remain opposed to their country's involvement in military operations in Afghanistan, while only 36% support it. The majority 56% of Britons also oppose their prime minister's plan to send an additional 500 British soldiers to Afghanistan in the next few weeks, while only 35% support it. The Angus Reid poll was conducted Dec. 2-4, 2009.
- December 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 51% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while 46% support it, a statistical tie within the poll's margin of error of 3 percentage points. A remaining 2% had no opinion. The CNN - Opinion Research poll was conducted Dec. 2-3, 2009.
- December 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Americans are split on sending 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, the figure that was just announced by U.S. President Obama: 36% of Americans think the number is too high, 38% think number is about right, while only 18% think it is too low. 47% of Americans agree with setting a timetable to begin withdrawing some troops, while 46% think it is too soon to set one. 21% agree with the announced timetable to begin withdrawing some troops in 2011, while 26% think the U.S. "should start withdrawing troops sooner" than that. The majority 69% of Democrats agree with setting a timetable for beginning to withdraw some troops, with 27% agreeing with the announced timetable of 2011 and 35% wanting a withdrawal of troops to begin before 2011 arrives. On the other hand, the majority 72% of Republicans think it is too soon to set a timetable. 43% of Democrats think the number of new troops being sent to Afghanistan is too high, while 35% of Republicans feel it is too low. The USA Today / Gallup poll was conducted December 2, 2009 just after U.S. President Obama announced that 30,000 more U.S. troops would be sent to Afghanistan while setting a timetable that calls for the U.S. to begin withdrawing some unspecified number of troops in 2011.
- December 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority 66% of Canadians oppose sending any more troops to Afghanistan despite the recently reported plans by the United States and Britain to do so. Only 28% would support sending any more troops. The majority 53% of Canadians also continue to oppose their country's involvement in military operations in Afghanistan, while 42% support it. The Angus Reid poll was conducted Dec. 1-2, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 133.
- December 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 49% of Americans support the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan, down 5 points from October, while 42% of Americans oppose it, up 7 points from October. 47% support President Obama's plan, while 40% oppose it. Only 22% of Americans think a clear U.S. military victory is likely, while 37% of Americans think a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban some role in the Afghan government is likely. The majority 56% of Americans are not confident that the Obama administration will be able to "finish the job" in Afghanistan, while only 31% are. The Angus Reid poll was conducted December 1–2, 2009 just after U.S. President Obama announced that 30,000 more U.S. troops would be sent to Afghanistan.
- December 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 69% of Germans want a full withdrawal of German troops from Afghanistan, while only 27% disagreed. Despite this, on Dec. 3, 2009, the German government extended the military deployment again for one more year to the end of 2010, and announced that it would decide whether to send even more troops. The Infratest-Dimap/ARD poll was conducted Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of German soldiers killed in the war stood at 31.
- November 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 65% of Germans oppose their country's military presence in Afghanistan and want their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan before the next federal election in 2013, while only 29% disagreed. The Bild am Sontag / Emnid poll was conducted Nov. 27, 2009.
- November 2009 - DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
: Nearly half of Danish voters want a deadline for withdrawing their soldiers from Afghanistan. The plurality 49.2% of Danes call for a deadline for the withdrawal of their country's troops from Afghanistan, while 36.7% do not. Just under half of Danes, 47.1%, support the operation, while 38.9% oppose it, and 14.4% did not answer or were undecided. The Catinet / Ritzau poll was conducted Nov. 7-9, 2009.
- November 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 48% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 47% support sending more troops. The plurality 39% of Americans want to begin to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The majority 67% of Democrats oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, and the majority 57% of Democrats want to begin to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. In contrast, the majority 72% of Republicans want to send more U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan. The USA Today / Gallup poll was conducted November 20–22, 2009.
- November 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 59% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, with the plurality 39% of Americans calling for a decrease of the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and 20% saying the number should remain unchanged. Only 32% of Americans support sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The majority 53% of Americans think that a troop increase would not make the situation better in Afghanistan, while 36% think that it would. The majority 69% of Americans now think that the war in Afghanistan is going badly for the United States, a sharp increase from 53% in September and the highest level since the poll question was first asked in 2003. A minority 23% still believe that the war is going well for the United States, down 12 points from September and the lowest level since 2003. The change in view occurred in particular among Republicans: In September, 47% of Republicans believed the war was going well for the United States. In November, the figure dropped to 27%. The CBS News poll was conducted Nov. 13-16, 2009.
- November 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 52% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while 45% support it. A remaining 3% had no opinion. The CNN - Opinion Research poll was conducted Nov. 13-15, 2009.
- November 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: In continued growing U.S. opposition to the war in Afghanistan, the majority 52% of Americans now say the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, a new high in opposition for the poll question first asked in 2007, while only 44% say it is worth fighting, a new low in support. The majority 76% of Americans do not feel that withdrawing from Afghanistan would increase the risk of terrorism in the U.S. while only 23% feel that it would. The majority 58% are not confident that the current Afghan government will be able to train an Afghan army that can effectively take over security there "at some point", while 38% are. In politically asymmetrical views, the majority 66% of Democrats say the war is not worth fighting, while, on the other hand, the majority 60% of Republicans say that it is worth fighting. Nearly half of Democrats, 48%, feel strongly that the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, while 43% of Republicans feel strongly that it is. The ABC News / Washington Post poll was conducted November 12–15, 2009.
- November 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The large 71% majority of British voters want their troops out of Afghanistan within a year. Seven out of 10 Britons want a phased withdrawal leading to an end of combat operations with 12 months, while only 22% disagreed. Almost half, 47%, of Britons say their country's continued military participation in Afghanistan makes terrorism more likely at home, while 44% say it does not. The ComRes poll for the Independent was conducted Nov. 11-12, 2009. At the time of the poll, the British death toll for personnel in the war in Afghanistan stood at 232.
- November 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 57% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 39% favor it. The plurality 37% of Americans "strongly oppose" the war in Afghanistan, while only 15% "strongly favor" it. The majority 54% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, up from 50% the previous month, while 43% favor doing so, down from 46% the previous month. The plurality 38% of Americans "strongly oppose" sending any more troops. The Associated Press - GfK poll was conducted November 5–9, 2009.
- November 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority of Britons reject the main justification given to them by the British government to justify its military presence in Afghanistan. Four out of five Britons do not believe that British military involvement in Afghanistan keeps the streets of Britain safe from terrorist attacks, and only 21% accept the government's claim. In fact, in direct contradiction to the government's position, almost half, 46%, of Britons feel that the British military participation in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan actually increases the threat of attack in Britain. The GFK NOP poll for the Independent was conducted Nov. 7-8, 2009. At the time of the poll, the British death toll for personnel in the war in Afghanistan stood at 232.
- November 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 51% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan: The plurality 44% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, and 7% want the number to be kept unchanged. 7% want an increase of less than 40,000, while 35% support an increase of 40,000 troops. The majority 60% of Democrats want President Obama to begin reducing troop levels in Afghanistan. The Gallup poll was conducted November 5–8, 2009.
- November 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 63% of Britons want "all" their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan "as quickly as possible". Only 31% disagreed. The majority 64% of Britons also said the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable, while only 27 disagreed. The majority 52% said the levels of corruption involved in the recent presidential electionAfghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
demonstrated that the war in Afghanistan is "not worth fighting for", while 36% disagreed. The majority 54% of respondents felt they had a good understanding of the purpose of the military presence in Afghanistan, while 42% disagreed. The BBC/ComRes poll was conducted November 4–5, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 229.
- November 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 73% of Britons want their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan immediately or within the next year or so: 35% of Britons want British troops brought home "immediately" and 38% said "most troops should be withdrawn soon, and the rest within the next year or so." Only 1 in 5 people, 20%, thought the UK military force should remain in Afghanistan. An overwhelming majority of the UK public, 85%, believe British troops are currently losing the war in Afghanistan: The majority 57% believe that military victory in Afghanistan is not possible, 28% thought eventual victory was possible, and 5% believed British troops were winning. The Channel 4 News / YouGov poll was conducted November 4–5, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 229.
- November 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 58% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 40% support it. The majority 56% of Americans also oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 42% favor doing so. The majority 64% of Americans do not think that there will "eventually" be "a stable democratic government in Afghanistan that can maintain order in the country without assistance from U.S. troops." Only 32% of Americans think this will eventually occur. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2009.
- November 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 59% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to the war in Afghanistan: The plurality 40% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, and 19% want the number of troops to remain unchanged. Only 32% support a troop increase. The majority 57% of Americans think the military effort is not going well, while 36% believe it is. The Pew Research poll was conducted Oct. 28 - Nov. 8, 2009.
- October 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 62% of Britons want their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan immediately or within the next year or so: 25% of Britons want British troops brought home "immediately" and 37% said "most troops should be withdrawn soon, and the rest within the next year or so." Only 29% thought the UK military force should remain past the next year. An overwhelming majority of the UK public, 84%, believe British troops are currently losing the war in Afghanistan: Almost half of the UK public, a plurality of 48% believe that military victory in Afghanistan is not possible, 36% thought eventual victory was possible, and 6% believed British troops were winning. The poll was released as thousands of people marchedProtests against the invasion of AfghanistanThe ongoing decade-long War in Afghanistan has prompted large protests around the world, with the first large-scale demonstrations beginning in the days leading up to the war's official launch on October 7, 2001....
through the streets of London to call on the Gordon BrownGordon BrownJames Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
government to change its policy that is at odds with the public sentiment and bring the 9,000-strong British force in Afghanistan home. The Channel 4 News / YouGov poll was conducted October 22–23, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 222.
- October 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 59% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 39% support doing so. 49% of Americans call for a partial or complete withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan: 28% want their country to withdraw all U.S. troops, 21% want a reduction of U.S. troops, and 8% think the numbers should stay as they are. The majority 52% of Americans think the eight year long war has turned into a situation like the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, while 46% do not. More than two-thirds of Americans say it's unlikely that Afghanistan will have stable government in the next few years. Six in 10 think it's necessary to keep U.S. forces in Afghanistan "now" to "prevent additional acts of terrorism in the U.S.", while 39% do not. The CNN - Opinion Research poll was conducted October 16–18, 2009. In this poll, CNN did not ask, or did not publish results for, the question ""Do you favor or oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan?" that it had asked in 10 previous polls.
- October 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 49% of Americans feel the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, while 47% do. 49% of Americans feel that Obama should not order the additional troops requested by U.S. military commanders, while 47% do. The majority 60% of Democrats oppose sending any more troops to Afghanistan, while the majority 69% of Republicans favor sending more troops there. Only 36% of Democrats feel the war is worth fighting, while 71% of Republicans do. The ABC News - Washington Post poll was conducted October 15–18, 2009.
- October 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 68% of Britons want their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan "now" or "within the next year or so". The plurality 36% of Britons want their troops "withdrawn from Afghanistan now", while 32% of Britons want a firm timetable set for "withdrawing British troops within the next year or so" that should be adhered to "regardless of the situation in Afghanistan at the time". Only 27% think British troops should remain until the Taleban is defeated and the situation is stable. The percentage of Britons wanting an immediate withdrawal rose 7 points from 29% to 36% from mid-September. The Populus / Times poll was conducted October 9–11, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 221.
- October 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 59% of Britons oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, an increase of opposition from 53% in July. 35% support the military involvement, a drop in support from 39% in July. The Angus Reid poll was conducted October 5–10, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 221.
- October 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority 56% of Canadians oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, an increase of opposition from 52% in July. 37% support the military involvement, a drop in support from 43% in July. The Angus Reid poll was conducted October 5–10, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 131.
- October 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 54% of Americans support their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, down slightly from 55% in July. 35% oppose the military involvement, unchanged from July. The Angus Reid poll was conducted October 5–10, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of American soldiers killed in the war stood at 869.
- October 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 63% of Britons think their troops in Afghanistan are "fighting a war that can't be won," while only 27% think it is "a war that must be won." 45% of Britons disagree that the war is worthwhile "to defeat terrorism," while 44% agree that it is. 44% of Britons disagree that troops in Afghanistan make them safer in Britain, while 42% agree that they do. The Sun / YouGov poll was conducted October 8–9, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 221.
- October 2009 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: 51% of Australians do not want their country to continue to be involved militarily in Afghanistan, while 46% do. 52% of Australians are not confident that Australia has clear aims in Afghanistan, while 47% were. At the time of the poll, the number of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan stood at 11. The Lowy Institute poll was conducted July 13–25, 2009 but only released October 13, 2009.
- October 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 56% of Americans say they want the size of the American military presence in the country to stay the same or be reduced. 38% of Americans favor drawing down U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, while 37% favor increasing the number, a statistical tie within the poll's margin of error of ±3 points. 17% favor keeping troop levels the same. The majority 52% of Democrats want to decrease the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, while the majority 57% of Republicans want to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Only 27% of Democrats support sending more troops to Afghanistan. According to the poll, 51% of Americans think the U.S is doing the right thing in fighting the war in Afghanistan, while 39% think the U.S. is not doing the right thing: The majority 76% of Republicans think the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting the war, while, on the other hand, the plurality 49% of Democrats think the U.S. should not be involved in Afghanistan. The CBS News poll was conducted October 5–8, 2009.
- October 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 48% of Americans support sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 45% oppose sending any more troops, a statistical tie within the poll's margin of error of ±5 points. 38% of Americans want President Obama to begin to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Half, 50%, of Democrats, and 44% of independents, want President Obama to begin to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan. 59% of Democrats, and 50% of independents, oppose sending any more troops, while 73% of Republicans support sending more troops. The USA Today / Gallup poll was conducted October 6, 2009.
- October 2009 - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: The plurality 48% of Japanese supported their government's decision to end their country's naval refueling mission in support of the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, while 37% opposed it. The Yomiuri poll was conducted October 2–4, 2009.
- October 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 57% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 40% favor the war. Half, 50%, of Americans oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan, while 46% favor sending more troops. The plurality 34% of Americans "strongly oppose" sending more troops to Afghanistan. The majority 57% of Democrats oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan, while 69% of Republicans favor sending more troops there. 46% approve of the way Barack Obama is handling the situation in Afghanistan, while 41% disapprove. The AP-GfK poll was conducted October 1–5, 2009.
- October 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 54% of Americans oppose an increase in troops: The plurality 40% of Americans want the U.S. to "decrease the number of troops in Afghanistan and begin to get out", 14% want to keep the number the same as there is now, while 38% would increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Over two-thirds, 68%, of Americans think the war in Afghanistan "will go on and on without a clear resolution", while only 20% think the United States will eventually win. The majority 55% think the war in Afghanistan has been unsuccessful, while 42% believe it has been successful. Only 17% of Democrats support sending more troops - The majority 61% of Democrats want to decrease U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan and begin to get out. The Clarus Research poll was conducted October 1–4, 2009.
- October 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 56% of Britons oppose their country's military operations in Afghanistan, while only 37% support the operations. The BBC/ICM poll was conducted in October 2–4, 2009. At the time of the poll, the British death toll in Afghanistan stood at 219.
- September 2009 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: The majority 76% of Poles oppose the continued presence of their country's militaryin Afghanistan, and the majority 77% of Poles want the military operation ended immediately and their soldiers brought home, a 12 percentage point increase from a survey in June. Only a minority 20% support the military involvement, with support falling consistently each month. The CBOS poll was conducted in September. At the end of September, the number of Polish soldiers killed in the war stood at 13.
- September 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 60% of Americans oppose increasing the number of troops in Afghanistan: 40% favor an increase, 37% want the number of troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, and 23% think they should be kept the same. The majority 56% of Americans think the U.S. is not winning the war in Afghanistan, while only 10% think it is. 33% were not sure. The Economist / YouGov poll was conducted September 27–29, 2009.
- September 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: Canadians massively want their country to leave its combat role in Afghanistan. The 82% majority of Canadians want Canada to end its combat role and either focus on training and development only or bring the Canadian troops home as soon as possible: 45% of Canadians want Canada to end the combat role and "provide help in training and development only" and 37% of Canadians want their troops to just "leave Afghanistan as soon as possible". Only 12% thought Canadian troops should "stay in combat roles until the war is won", while 6% did not know or refused to answer. The Leger Marketing poll was conducted September 22–25, 2009.
- September 2009 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: The majority 70% of Dutch oppose extending their country's military deployment in Afghanistan past 2010. Only 21% support continuing the mission after 2010. At the time of the poll, the number of Dutch soldiers killed in the war stood at 21. The Maurice de Hond poll was conducted September 24, 2009.
- September 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Nearly half of all Americans, 48%, oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. 41% of Americans want to begin to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, while 41% favor sending more troops. 7% think the number should be kept the same as it is. The majority 62% of Democrats oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, and, in fact, the majority 53% of Democrats want to begin to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan. On the other hand, the majority 63% of Republicans favor sending more troops to Afghanistan. Only 30% of Democrats support sending more U.S. troops. The USA Today/Gallup poll was conducted September 22–23, 2009.
- September 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 59% of all Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan: The plurality one-third, 32%, of Americans want a reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, while 27% want the number to remain as it is. Only 29% support sending any additional U.S. troops. The majority 55% of Americans are only willing to have large numbers of U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan for no longer than 2 more years: The plurality 31% of Americans are only willing to have large numbers of U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan less than 1 year, and another 24% accept 1 or 2 years. Only 27% are willing to have large numbers of U.S. troops stay longer than 5 more years in Afghanistan. 51% think the war is going badly for the U.S., while 35% think it is going well. 47% of Americans think the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting the war in Afghanistan, while 42% of Americans think the U.S. should not be involved in Afghanistan now. Over half, 56%, of Americans think the situation in Afghanistan is staying about the same, while 26% think it is getting worse, and 8% think it is getting better. 68% of Americans think the U.S. military actions in Afghanistan have not decreased the threat of terrorism in the U.S.: The majority 51% of Americans think the threat of terrorism against the U.S. has stayed about the same, 27% think that it has decreased, and 17% think that it has increased, as a result of the U.S. military actions in Afghanistan. 51% think the threat of terrorism to the United States would either stay the same or even decrease if the U.S. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan: 42% think it would stay about the same, 43% think it would increase, and 9% think it would decrease if the U.S. withdrew its troops. The New York Times/CBS News poll was conducted September 19–23, 2009.
- September 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Nearly 6 in 10 Americans, 59%, are less confident the war in Afghanistan will come to a successful conclusion. The majority 51% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 44% support doing so. The majority 55% of Americans do not think the U.S. should have an immediate and orderly withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan, while 38% do think the U.S. should have an immediate and orderly withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan. 43% think the U.S. should not devote time and troops to try building a strong, stable government in Afghanistan, while 47% feel the U.S. should help build a strong, stable government. The NBC News / Wall Street Journal poll was conducted September 17–20, 2009.
- September 2009 - FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
: About half of Finns say Finland should continue its peacekeeping role in Afghanistan. The majority 65% of Finns do not think furthering human rights and democracy in Afghanistan is likely, while only 25% were optimistic of the outcome. While 50% said Finland should not withdraw its peacekeeping troops charged with supporting provincial government security, 35% of Finns want them withdrawn from Afghanistan. 44% think the peacekeeping troops should remain as long as needed, while 27% want them withdrawn within a year. 16% had no opinion on the matter. The Helsingin Sanomat / Suomen Gallup poll was conducted September 14–15, 2009.
- September 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Just half, 50%, of Americans now say that U.S. and NATO troops should remain in Afghanistan "until the situation has stabilized.", a notable decline from 57% in June, while 43% of Americans want the U.S. and NATO to "remove their troops as soon as possible, an increase from 38% in June. The majority 56% of Democrats want to remove U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while, in contrast, 71% of Republicans favor keeping them there. By nearly two to one, 55% to 29%, Republicans thought the U.S. is making progress rather than losing ground in defeating the Taliban militarily. The Pew Research Center poll was conducted September 10–15, 2009.
- September 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 55% of Americans are not confident that U.S. policies in Afghanistan will be successful, and only 14% are confident. The plurality 42% of Americans believe the situation is getting worse in Afghanistan, while 8% believe it is getting better. The plurality 42% of Americans see no difference between the situation for U.S. troops in Afghanistan and in Iraq, while 36% think the situation is worse in Afghanistan than in Iraq. The Harris poll was conducted September 8–15, 2009.
- September 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Growing American opposition to the war in Afghanistan reached an all-time high, while support for the U.S. war fell to an all-time low in September. A record majority 58% of Americans now oppose the war in Afghanistan, while only 39% support the U.S. war. Only 23% of Democrats and only 39% independents support the war, while a majority 62% of Republicans support the war. The majority 75% of Democrats oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan. The CNN - Opinion Research poll was conducted September 11–13, 2009.
- September 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 54% of Germans oppose their country's military operations in Afghanistan, and only 44% support them. The majority 58% of Germans oppose any extension of the mission, and only 39% support one. The ZDF - Tagesspiegel poll was conducted September 11, 2009.
- September 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 55% of Germans want their troops brought home from the war in Afghanistan. The Forsa Institute poll was conducted September 10–11, 2009.
- September 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: "Americans are broadly skeptical of President Obama's contention that the war in Afghanistan is necessary for the war against terrorism to be a success, and few see an increase in troops as the right thing to do." The plurality 42% of Americans want a reduction of the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Only 26% of Americans think more troops should be sent to Afghanistan. 28% think they should be kept "about the same". The majority 56% of Democrats want a reduction of the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The plurality 41% of independents also want a reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The plurality 39% of Republicans want more troops to be sent to the war. 51% of Americans think the war is not worth fighting, while 46% think it is. Fewer than half of Americans think winning the war in Afghanistan is necessary to win the "war on terrorism", with about as many saying it is not. The majority 59% of Democrats think the "war on terrorism" can be a success without winning in Afghanistan, while the majority 66% of Republicans think the war in Afghanistan must be won to win the "war on terrorism". The Washington Post - ABC News poll was conducted September 10–12, 2009.
- September 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 57% of Germans want the withdrawal of their troops "as soon as possible from Afghanistan", while only 37 do not. The ARD - Deutschlandtrend poll was conducted September 10, 2009.
- September 2009 - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: The majority 58% of Italians are against the war in Afghanistan and want their soldiers brought back, while 26% supported keeping the troops there. The remaining 16% did not know. The ISPO - Corriere della Sera poll was conducted in the second week of September, before the deaths of 6 Italian soldiers in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul on September 17, Italy's' deadliest day in the war to date. At the time of the poll, Italy's death toll in the war stood at 15.
- September 2009 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Only 37% of Dutch approve of their country's military deployment in Afghanistan. The poll by the defence ministry was reported in the news on September 8, 2009. The percentage of Dutch opposed to the military deployment was not given.
- August 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Growing opposition to the U.S. war in Afghanistan hit an all-time high in the United States. The majority 57% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 42% support it. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted August 28–31, 2009 shortly after the August 20, 2009 electionAfghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
in Afghanistan that was characterized by widespread lack of security and massive fraud, at the end of the two deadliest months for U.S. troops in the 8-year-long war.
- August 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: More Americans, 41%, want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced than the number, 25%, that support sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Less than half, 48%, of Americans approve of President Obama's handling of Afghanistan, and 52% think things are going badly for the U.S. in Afghanistan. 37% believe things are going well. The CBS News poll was conducted Aug. 27-31, 2009, shortly after the August 20, 2009 Afghan electionAfghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
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- August 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 62% of Britons oppose their country's troops remaining in Afghanistan, while only 26% were in favour. The Daily Telegraph / YouGov poll was conducted in August 2009.
- August 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 66% of Britons think their troops in Afghanistan are "fighting a war that can't be won", while only 24% thought they were "fighting a war that must be won". 50% of Britons disagree that the war is worthwhile "to defeat terrorism", while 39% agree that it is. 46% of Britons disagree that troops in Afghanistan make them safer in Britain, while 40% agree that they do. The Sun / YouGov poll was conducted August 28–29, 2009. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 207.
- August 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority of Americans oppose sending more U.S. combat troops to Afghanistan: 56% oppose sending more combat troops, while only 35% support doing so. A majority 54% of Americans think the U.S. is not winning the war in Afghanistan, while only 29% think it is. 66% of Democrats and 67% of independents oppose sending more combat troops. Only in one group was there a majority in favor of sending more combat troops to Afghanistan: 52% of Republicans. The McClatchy / Ipsos poll was conducted Aug. 27-31, 2009, shortly after the August 20, 2009 Afghan electionAfghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
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- August 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 59% of Americans think the "United States will withdraw from Afghanistan without winning", while 41% think the United States will win the war in Afghanistan. The majority 75% of Americans think U.S. troops will still be in Afghanistan in three years time, in 2012, while only 7% did not think so and 18% were not sure. The Economist / YouGov poll was conducted Aug. 23-25, 2009, shortly after the August 20, 2009 Afghan electionAfghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
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- August 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: More than half of Britons are against their country's military involvement in Afghanistan. 53% of the British public disagree with the British military deployment to Afghanistan, while only one in four, 25%, agree with it. Underlining the lack of support for the military operations in a foreign country and the British public's rejection of their government's justifications for the military presence, more than 70% of Britons said that the military's most important function should be to defend British territory and citizens. Support for other reasons given by the government was rock bottom: Only 2% of Britons thought their military should be involved in reconstruction of countries damaged by war; only 1% believed that their military should train and mentor foreign forces. The ICM Research / National Army Museum was conducted August 21–23, 2009, in the days after the August 20 Afghan electionAfghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
. At the time of the poll, the British death toll in Afghanistan stood at 206.
- August 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: More than two-thirds of Britons want their country's troops pulled out of Afghanistan. The majority 69% of people in Britain think their troops should not be fighting in Afghanistan, while only 31% thought they should. Three-quarters of Britons do not think that fighting in Afghanistan is making them safer from terrorism as Gordon Brown and senior ministers had repeatedly been telling them recently. Nearly three-quarters, 72%, also said Gordon Brown was handling the war badly. At the time of the poll, the British death toll in the war in Afghanistan stood at 206, nearly 30 more than were killed in the 5-year British involvement in Iraq. The BPIX / Mail on Sunday poll was conducted August 20–21, 2009, at around the time of the August 20, 2009 Afghan electionAfghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
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- August 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: More than half of Americans, 51%, now say the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, while 47% think it is - a statistical tie within the poll's 3.5-point margin of error. Less than a quarter of Americans, 24%, favor sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while almost twice as many, 45%, want to see the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan reduced. More Americans, 41%, "strongly" think that the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, compared to 31% that "strongly" think that it is. The ABC News / Washington Post poll was conducted August 13–17, 2009, just ahead of the August 20, 2009 Afghan electionAfghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
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- August 2009 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority 64% in France oppose their country's military intervention in Afghanistan, while only 36% favour it. The Ifop / Le Figaro poll was conducted August 10–18, 2009 just ahead of the August 20, 2009 Afghan electionAfghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
. At the time of the poll, the number of French soldiers killed in the war in Afghanistan stood at 29.
- August 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 57% of Britons think their troops should not be fighting in Afghanistan, more than twice the number that think they should, 28%. Only 13% said it was "very clear" why their country was in Afghanistan. The YouGov / Sky News poll was conducted August 7–10, 2009. At the time the poll was released, the death toll of British soldiers in Afghanistan passed the 200 mark.
- August 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Most Americans now oppose the war in Afghanistan. In a new low in American public support for the war, 54% of Americans oppose the US-led war, while only 41% support it. Nearly two-thirds of Republicans support the war in Afghanistan. Three quarters of Democrats oppose the war.
- August 2009 - New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
: The majority 61% of New Zealanders agree with their government's decision to extend the non-combat stay of 140 troops working on reconstruction projects in Afghanistan, while 25% disagree, and 13% are unsure. On the other hand, New Zealanders are divided on whether to send SAS (Special Air Service) soldiers back to Afghanistan, following a request made by the United States. New Zealand has had up to 65 SAS (elite combat unit) soldiers in Afghanistan in the past, but none at the moment. 47% of respondents would support this measure, while 44% would oppose it, a statistical tie within the poll's 4.5% margin of error. The remaining 9% were unsure.
- August 2009 - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
: The majority 80% of Pakistanis oppose their government's cooperation with the United States on its "war against terror", while only 18% support it. Washington had given close to $10.5 billion U.S. in military and economic aid to Pakistan since 2002, and the U.S. Congress had recently demanded that Pakistan demonstrate that it was fighting militants as a condition for receiving an additional $7.5 billion U.S. package over a five-year period.
- July 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 77% of Britons feel that the cause of war in Afghanistan is not sufficiently worthwhile to risk the lives of British troops. Only 15% believe the cause is worth the loss of British soldiers' lives. 8% did not know.
- July 2009 - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: The majority 56% of Italians want their government to draft a plan to withdraw all Italian soldiers from Afghanistan either immediately or gradually. 22% of Italians want an immediate withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan, while 34% think a gradual withdrawal would be better. Conversely, 37% oppose bringing their troops back. The remaining 7% had no opinion. At the time of the poll, the number of Italian troops killed in the war in Afghanistan stood at 15.
- July 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: More than half of Britons think military operations in Afghanistan are futile and want their troops to be withdrawn immediately. 58% of Britons see the war as "unwinnable" and only 31% disagree. A majority 52% of Britons want their country's troops out of Afghanistan immediately, while 43% want them to stay there. A majority 60% do not think any more troops or resources should be sent to Afghanistan, while only 35% support reinforcement. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war had reached 191, with 22 killed in the month to date alone.
- July 2009 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: 74% of Dutch want their government to pull out all or at least most of their troops: 43% would keep a limited number of soldiers in Afghanistan, 31% would withdraw all soldiers from Afghanistan, 20% would maintain more or less the current role, and only 3% would extend the mission beyond 2010. The remaining 4% did not know. At the time of the poll, the number of Dutch troops killed in the war in Afghanistan stood at 19.
- July 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 53% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 44% support it. The plurality of Americans, 34%, strongly oppose the war in Afghanistan, while only 20% strongly favor it. 19% somewhat oppose the war in Afghanistan and 20% somewhat favor it. 3% did not know or declined to answer. 66% of Republicans favor the war in Afghanistan, while only 26% of Democrats do.
- July 2009 - FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
: A majority 62% of Finns want Finnish troops, charged with supporting provincial government security, to remain in Afghanistan: 55% want the number of Finnish troops to remain steady, 18% want them withdrawn from Afghanistan, and 7% would increase their number. 48% of Finns say their troops should only serve in operations with minimal likelihood of combat. 45% said they should engage the enemy if necessary. Around the same time as the poll, in late July, Finnish troops, based north of Kabul, had just returned fire for the very first time in Afghanistan. At the time of the poll, Finland had about 195 troops in Afghanistan with one Finnish soldier having died in the war so far.
- July 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority of Canadians oppose the military mission in Afghanistan. 52% of Canadians oppose the military operation, while only 43% support it. Only 38% of Canadians think their country did the right thing in sending military forces to Afghanistan. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 125.
- July 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority of Britons oppose the military mission in Afghanistan. 53% of Britons oppose the military operation, while only 39% support it. Only 28% of Britons think their country did the right thing in sending military forces to Afghanistan. The majority 53% think that their country made a mistake in sending military forces to Afghanistan. 43% of Britons would agree with the UK government actively negotiating with the Taliban, while 37% would disagree. At the time of the poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the war stood at 186.
- July 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority of Americans support the military mission in Afghanistan. 55% of Americans support the military operation, while only 35% oppose it. Just under half, 49%, of Americans think their country did the right thing in sending military forces to Afghanistan. 48% of Americans also feel that they do not have a clear idea of what the war in Afghanistan is about.
- July 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: A majority 64% of Britons want all British forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan "as quickly as possible", while 33% do not. 60% of Britons disagree with devoting any more British troops or resources to Afghanistan, while only 34% would agree.
- July 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Over two-thirds of Britons believe that their country's troops should be withdrawn either now (34%) or within the next year (33%). Only 29% think their troops should stay there until the situation in Afghanistan becomes stable even if it takes many years.
- July 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: 70% of Britons feel that the war in Afghanistan is not worth risking the lives of British troops. Only 24% of Britons feel that it is worth risking the lives of British soldiers for. The remaining 6% did not know. Presented with a multiple choice question of what they think should happen: 14% think more British troops should be sent there; 36% feel other countries should send more troops but not Britain; only 9% think current troop levels should be maintained as long as necessary; 21% want Britain to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan; and 12% think all western troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan.
- July 2009 - Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
: Half of Czechs do not want their country's soldiers in Afghanistan - 50% of Czechs disagree with the presence of Czech soldiers in Afghanistan, while the other half approve of it. Most Czechs prefer to see a focus mainly on humanitarian aid and reconstruction activity.
- July 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Half of Americans, 51%, think the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting, while nearly half, 45%, think the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting - a statistical tie within the poll's ±3 point margin of error. Despite this, 62% of Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling the situation, while 30% do not. The American public remains closely divided on whether the United States is making significant process toward winning the war, with 46% thinking so and 42% not.
- July 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 36% of Americans think the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan is a mistake. On the other hand, 54% of Americans think things are going well for the U.S. in Afghanistan. 56% of Democrat Americans think the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan is a mistake, while 13% of Republican Americans think it is a mistake. In those identifying as independents, 39% think the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan is a mistake. The poll took place before it was reported that July had become the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan so far, and that the combined American death toll from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had surpassed the 5,000 mark.
- July 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: A majority 54% of Canadians oppose their country's military participation in Afghanistan, while support has fallen to just one in three, at 34%. On the day the poll was released, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war reached 125.
- July 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Nearly three in five Britons, 59%, want their country's troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, while only 36% think they should stay there.
- July 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 56% of Britons want their troops brought home from Afghanistan within six months by the end of the year: The plurality 42% of Britons want the immediate withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, while a further 14% want them home by the end of 2009. Only 36% want the troops to stay in Afghanistan as long as needed. Twice as many people think British troops are making no difference to the country, or even causing harm, than think they are doing good. 47% of Britons are opposed to their country's military operations in Afghanistan, while 46% support it. In a previous ICM poll for the BBC in March 2008, 48% of Britons were opposed to their country's military operations, while 40% supported it. At the time of the latest poll, the number of British soldiers killed in the Afghan war stood at 184.
- July 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: An over two-thirds majority of Germans, 69%, believe their country's military should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. This is a 5% increase since April when 64% of Germans wanted their troops to pull out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible, and the highest figure yet from the poll on the issue.
- June 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: Two-thirds of Germans want their soldiers out of Afghanistan - and as soon as possible. Only one-third support the mission.
- June 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: A majority 61% of Germans believe the German military should withdraw from Afghanistan, while 33% thought they should stay there. The level of opposition to the deployment is up from 59% in a similar poll in September 2008, and 52% in September 2007. At the time of the poll, the number of German soldiers killed in the war since 2002 stood at 35.
- June 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 62% of Americans want to maintain or increase U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan. The plurality of Americans, 32%, want U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan kept at the current level. 19% want their troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan, and 11% want the number of their troops in Afghanistan to be reduced. 30% of Americans think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority 60% of Britons want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. The plurality of Britons, 41%, want British troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan. Another 19% want the number of British troops in Afghanistan reduced. 27% think the number of troops should remain the same. Only 11% of Britons think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 57% of Germans want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. The plurality of Germans, 41%, want German troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan. Another 16% want the number of German troops in Afghanistan to be reduced. 35% think the number of troops should remain the same. Only 7% of Germans think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority 51% of people in France want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. The plurality in France, 41%, want French troop numbers in Afghanistan kept at the current level. 34% want their troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan, and 17% want the number of their troops in Afghanistan to be reduced. Only 4% of people in France think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: The majority 55% of Italians want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. The plurality of Italians, 38%, want Italian troop numbers in Afghanistan kept at the current level. 34% of Italians want their troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan, and 21% want the number of their troops in Afghanistan to be reduced. Only 6% of Italians think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: Half, 50% of Dutch people want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. The plurality, 43%, want Dutch troop numbers in Afghanistan kept at the current level. 28% of Dutch people want their troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan, and 22% want the number of their troops in Afghanistan to be reduced. Only 5% of Dutch people think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: The majority two-thirds, 68%, of Poles want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Over half of Poles, 51%, want Polish troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan. Another 17% want the number of Polish troops in Afghanistan to be reduced. 22% think the number of troops should remain the same. Only 5% of Poles think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
: The majority 52% of Portuguese want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. The plurality of Portuguese, 40%, want Portuguese troop numbers kept at the current level. 38% want their troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan. Another 14% want the number of Portuguese troops in Afghanistan to be reduced. Only 7% of Portuguese think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: The majority 54% of Spaniards want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. 37% of Spaniards want Spanish troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 17% want their troop numbers in Afghanistan reduced. 37% want their troop numbers kept at the current level. Only 7% of Spaniards think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
: The majority 61% of Slovaks want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. 31% of Slovaks want Slovak troop numbers to be reduced, 31% want troop numbers kept at the current level, and 30% want their troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan. Only 2% of Slovaks think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
: Half, 50% of Turks want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. The plurality of Turks, 30%, want Turkish troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan, and another 20% want their troops numbers to be reduced. 21% want troop numbers kept at the current level. Only 14% of Turks think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
: The majority 72% of Bulgarians want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Half of Bulgarians, 50%, want Bulgarian troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan. Another 22% want their troops numbers to be reduced. Only 14% want their troop numbers kept at the current level, and only 2% of Bulgarians think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
: The majority 71% of Romanians want some or all of their country's military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Almost half of Romanians, 48%, want Romanian troops to be completely withdrawn from Afghanistan. Another 23% want their troops numbers to be reduced. Only 16% want their troop numbers kept at the current level, and only 5% of Romanians think their country should send more troops to Afghanistan. The German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends survey 2009 was conducted June 9 - July 1, 2009.
- June 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The majority 57% of Americans want U.S. and NATO military troops to be kept in Afghanistan until the situation has stabilised, while 38% want them removed as soon as possible. The majority 52% of Americans approve of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while 42% disapprove.
- June 2009 - IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
: The majority 59% of Israelis want U.S. and NATO military troops to be kept in Afghanistan until the situation has stabilised, while only 27% want them removed as soon as possible. The majority 54% of Israelis approve of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while 32% disapprove.
- June 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority 50% of Canadians want U.S. and NATO military troops to be removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 43% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 55% of Canadians disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while 42% approve.
- June 2009 - MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
: The majority 51% of Mexicans want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 22% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 52% of Mexicans disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 22% approve.
- June 2009 - JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
: The majority 86% of Jordanians want U.S. and NATO military troops to be removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 12% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 66% of Jordanians disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 11% approve.
- June 2009 - BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
: The majority 56% of Brazilians want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 26% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 57% of Brazilians disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 27% approve.
- June 2009 - IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
: The majority 66% of Indonesians want U.S. and NATO military troops to be removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 17% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 55% of Indonesians disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while 42% approve.
- June 2009 - RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
: The majority 66% of Russians want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 16% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 66% of Russians disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 13% approve.
- June 2009 - EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
: The majority 70% of Egyptians want U.S. and NATO military troops to be removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 19% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 64% of Egyptians disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 19% approve.
- June 2009 - South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
: The plurality 49% of South Koreans want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 38% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 55% of South Koreans disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 28% approve.
- June 2009 - KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
: The majority 56% of Kenyans want U.S. and NATO military troops to be kept in Afghanistan until the situation has stabilised, while only 30% want them removed as soon as possible. The majority 53% of Kenyans approve of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while 31% disapprove.
- June 2009 - TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
: The majority 63% of Turks want U.S. and NATO military troops to be removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 15% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The plurality 49% of Turks disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 16% approve.
- June 2009 - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: 46% of Spaniards want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 44% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised - a statistical tie within the margin of error. The majority 50% of Spaniards disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops there, while 41% approve.
- June 2009 - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
: The majority 72% of Pakistanis want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 4% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 57% of Pakistanis disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 16% approve.
- June 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: 48% of Britons want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 46% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised - a statistical tie within the margin of error. The majority 51% of Britons disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops there, while 41% approve.
- June 2009 - IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
: A plurality 42% of Indians want U.S. and NATO military troops to be kept in Afghanistan until the situation has stabilised, while only 29% want them removed as soon as possible. A plurality 38% of Indians approve of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 27% disapprove.
- June 2009 - Palestinian TerritoriesPalestinian territoriesThe Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
: The majority 90% of Palestinians want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 5% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 84% of Palestinians disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 12% approve.
- June 2009 - ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
: The majority 70% of the Chinese want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 16% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 71% of the Chinese disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while 17% approve.
- June 2009 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: 49% of the French want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 50% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised - a statistical tie within the margin of error. The majority 62% of the French disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops there, while 37% approve.
- June 2009 - ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
: The majority 77% of Argentinians want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 6% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 67% of Argentinians disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 12% approve.
- June 2009 - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: The majority 51% of the Japanese want U.S. and NATO military troops to be removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 36% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 62% of Japanese disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 28% approve.
- June 2009 - NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
: The majority 52% of Nigerians want U.S. and NATO military troops to be kept in Afghanistan until the situation has stabilised, while 41% want them removed as soon as possible. The plurality 49% of Nigerians approve of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while 44% disapprove.
- June 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: 47% of Germans want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 48% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised - a statistical tie within the margin of error. The majority 63% of Germans disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops there, while 32% approve.
- June 2009 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: The majority 57% of Poles want U.S. and NATO military troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 30% want them kept there until the situation has stabilised. The majority 57% of Poles disapprove of U.S. President Obama sending additional troops to Afghanistan, while only 28% approve.
- May 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: Half of Canadians are adamant about ending the Afghan mission before 2011, and the vast majority of Canadians, 84%, want their country's military presence in Afghanistan to wane by 2011. 51% of Canadians want the bulk of the troops to be withdrawn before 2011. 33% think the bulk of the troops should be withdrawn in 2011. Only 7% would keep Canadian troops in Afghanistan past 2011. The majority of Canadians, 57%, continue to disagree with their government's latest extension from February 2009 to 2011. At the time of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 118.
- May 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Americans continue to be split over the war in Afghanistan with 50% in favor and 48% of Americans opposed in a poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 3%. Only 36% of Americans feel things are going well for the United States in the war, while 60% say things are going poorly.
- May 2009 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: The plurality of Australians, 49%, oppose their government's announced increase of 450 more troops in Afghanistan, while 36% support the increase. At the time of the poll, the number of Australian soldiers killed in the war stood at 10.
- May 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: A majority 54% of Canadians continue to be opposed to their country having troops in Afghanistan, while 39% support it. Almost 90% of Canadians want their troops out of Afghanistan before or by the scheduled end date in 2011. 40% of Canadians want the troops brought back early while 46% say they should be withdrawn in July 2011. Only 8% think the mission should continue past July 2011. 54% do not think the additional increases in U.S. troops will succeed, while 41% do.
- April 2009 - DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
: A majority of Danes support negotiating with the Taliban to achieve peace in Afghanistan, and 53% support their country's military participation there. 47% of Danes do not think the war in Afghanistan can be won, while 29% do. At the time of the poll, the number of Danish soldiers killed in the war stood at 23.
- April 2009 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: Half of Australians would end their country's participation in the war in Afghanistan. 50% of Australians want their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Only 24% think the number of Australian troops in Afghanistan should be kept the same. Only a small minority, 14%, would support increasing the number of troops if asked by the United States. At the time of the poll, the number of Australian soldiers killed in the war stood at 10.
- April 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: A majority of Americans, 53%, favor the war in Afghanistan. 46% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan. Despite this, more than two-thirds back the president's plan to send roughly 20,000 more U.S. troops, while 31% oppose those planned increases. A majority of Americans, 52%, however, would oppose sending even more U.S. troops than already announced, while 45% would support doing so.
- April 2009 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: The majority of people in the Netherlands think their government should not comply with a request by the United States to extend the presence of Dutch soldiers in Afghanistan. 59% of Dutch citizens do not want their country's troops to stay in Afghanistan after 2010. Only 31% think they should stay after 2010 when the current mission is due to expire. At the time of the poll, the number of Dutch soldiers killed in the war in Afghanistan stood at 19. In a separate report, a recent poll indicated that four out of 10 Dutch soldiers think the Netherlands should end its mission in Afghanistan.
- April 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: A majority of Canadians continue to be opposed to their government's commitment to have troops in Afghanistan. Overall, 55% of Canadians oppose the military mission in Afghanistan, while only 40% support it. The depth of the opposition is particularly notable: Three times more Canadians are strongly opposed to the mission (27%) than strongly support it (9%). 37% of those that support the mission would withdraw that support if the controversial Afghan law affecting women's rights is enacted.
- April 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The overwhelming majority of Britons, 72%, are against sending more British troops to Afghanistan. Only 22% support sending more troops. Despite the public's opposition, the British government under Prime Minister Gordon Brown is sending 900 more soldiers there.
- April 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans want to see more U.S. troops in Afghanistan. 51% of Americans want the troop levels to be decreased or held steady. (One-third of Americans think U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan should be decreased. 18% think troop levels should be kept the same). 52% of Americans think things are going badly for the U.S. in Afghanistan, while only 36% think they are going well.
- April 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: Almost two-thirds of Germans, 64%, want their troops to pull out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible. Only a third, 32%, support keeping the troops there - the lowest level of support in Germany since the poll question was asked. At the time of the poll, the number of German soldiers killed in Afghanistan stood at 31.
- April 2009 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: 53% of Australians approve of Australia's military participation in Afghanistan, while 39% disapprove of it. A large majority, 69%, believe the United States and its allies are losing the war, while just 17% believe that they are winning it.
- March 2009 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: Australians overwhelmingly oppose sending extra troops to Afghanistan as the death toll mounts. A majority of Australian voters, 66%, oppose sending any more Australian troops to Afghanistan, while 30% support doing so. A majority 51% of Australians oppose their country's involvement in the war, while 44% support it. At the time of the poll, Australia's death toll from the war stood at 10.
- March 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: Most Germans want all of their troops out of Afghanistan, with 58% of Germans wanting their country's troops to come home. The mission has always been highly unpopular in Germany, and only 36% were in favour of the troops staying. At the time of the poll, 31 German soldiers had died in Afghanistan since 2002.
- March 2009 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: Nearly two-thirds of Australians, 65%, say they are against sending any more Australian troops to the war in Afghanistan. Fewer than three in ten, only 28%, would support an increase in Australian forces in Afghanistan if asked by the American government. Most Australian voters oppose sending any more troops even if asked by U.S. President Barack Obama.
- March 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: American support for the war in Afghanistan has ebbed to a new low with 42% of Americans saying that their country made a mistake in sending military forces to Afghanistan. The figure is the highest percentage since the poll first asked the question in November 2001, a few weeks into the U.S. invasion. Those that think the war is going well dropped to 38% in the latest poll, the lowest percentage since that question was asked in September 2006.
- March 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Nearly two-thirds of Britons want British troops to be brought back home from Afghanistan. Three in five, or 60% of Britons, were unconvinced by their government's arguments in support of keeping a British military presence in Afghanistan, while only 35% were convinced. 30% of Britons said that they were "very unconvinced" by their government's arguments, while only 8% were "very convinced" that British troops should stay. At the time of the publication of the poll, the death toll in the war for British soldiers stood at 150.
- March 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: A majority 69%, over two-thirds, of Britons say that the aim of stabilising Afghanistan is not sufficiently worthwhile to risk the lives of British troops, and 64% think the war there can never be won. 64% of Britons also favour talking to the Taliban to achieve a deal, while only 24% disagreed. Only 24% thought the aim of stabilising Afghanistan was worth risking the lives of British soldiers, only 21% thought that the war can be won eventually, and only 8% thought that more British troops should be sent. More Britons (26%) feel that the presence of NATO troops in Afghanistan provokes extremism and instability in Pakistan than (21%) feel that keeping NATO troops in Afghanistan will stop the spread of instability into Pakistan. At least 43% of Britons want their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. At the time of the publication of the poll, the death toll in the war for British soldiers stood at 150.
- February 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 51% of Americans are opposed to the war in Afghanistan while only 47% favor the war. However, 63% of those polled still said they supported President Obama's plan to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, while 36% opposed the increase.
- February 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: A majority 52% of Canadians continue to disagree with their government's latest extension of the military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, and half of Canadians would end the mission. 48% of Canadians want the bulk of Canadian troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan even before the 2011 withdrawal date promised by the government. 35% think that the bulk of the troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2011. Only 7% think the bulk of the troops should remain in Afghanistan past the 2011 mission end-date.
- February 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: In results that differed from those of 4 recent polls, two-thirds of Americans approved of President Obama's decision to send 17,000 more U.S. military troops to Afghanistan, while one-third of Americans disapprove of the decision. One in four Americans says Obama should reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan or withdraw them entirely. 17% of Republicans and 29% of Democrats think that the number of troops should be reduced or that the troops should be completely withdrawn. Nearly half of those polled were of the belief that Afghanistan would become stable enough within the next three years to allow most U.S. troops to be withdrawn by that time: 49% of Americans are of the belief that most U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan within 3 years while 46% do not think so.
- February 2009 - DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
: 55% of Danes believe the war against the Afghan insurgency cannot be won, while only 22% think victory is possible. Another 22% remain uncertain. 48% believed Denmark should maintain troops in Afghanistan, while 41% believed Denmark should withdraw its troops from here. The poll came as Danish soldiers began negotiating with the Taliban as a necessary step to have peace in Afghanistan.
- February 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Americans are almost evenly divided about whether the United States should keep a significant number of troops in Afghanistan until the situation improves (48%) or whether it should set a timetable for withdrawal (47%).
- February 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: 65% of Canadians say no to keeping troops in Afghanistan should President Obama request it, while only 20% said yes.
- January 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The plurality 46% of Americans oppose the President's plan to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while only 30% support an increase. 24% are not sure.
- January 2009 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: 60% of Germans do not wish their government to send more troops to Afghanistan under any circumstances.
- January 2009 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: 57% of Britons say they do not want to send any more troops to Afghanistan.
- January 2009 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: 53% of respondents reject sending any more troops to Afghanistan.
- January 2009 - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: A majority 53% of Italians reject sending any more troops to Afghanistan.
- January 2009 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: 55% of Canadians oppose an extension of the mission in Afghanistan if requested by President Obama, while only 30% support it.
- January 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Only one-third of Americans support President Obama's plan to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Only 33% of all adults, and only 27% of Democrats, support the proposed increase. The majority of Americans either think the number of troops should not be changed (21%) or the number of troops in Afghanistan should be cut (27%).
- January 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: In results from another poll in the U.S., 34% support an increase, 28% do not want the number changed, and 26% of Americans want a reduction of the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
- January 2009 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: In results from still another poll, more than 60% of Americans oppose sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while again about a third, 34%, support an increase.
2008
- December 2008 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Almost half of adults in Britain are completely against providing more troops in Afghanistan. 46% of Britons say their country should not send more troops to the war "under any circumstances", even upon request by Barack Obama. 39% would agree to send more soldiers to Afghanistan but only when more British troops have been withdrawn from Iraq. Only 3% would send more troops as soon as possible.
- December 2008 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: A majority 58% of Canadians continue to disagree with their government's latest extension of the military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, with Canadians wanting a quicker end to the Afghan mission: A majority 53% of Canadians want the bulk of Canadian troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan before the year 2011. Only 30% think that the bulk of the troops should stay in Afghanistan until 2011 at which point they should be withdrawn. Only 8% think the bulk of the troops should remain in Afghanistan past 2011. At the time of the publication of the poll, the number of Canadian soldiers killed in the war stood at 106.
- November 2008 - SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
: The plurality of Swedes, 37%, would withdraw all soldiers from Afghanistan. Another 36% would maintain the current level of troops, while only 17% agreed with sending more troops to Afghanistan.
- November 2008 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: A majority 56% of Canadians continue to disagree with their government's proposed extension of the military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, and a majority 53% of Canadians call for the bulk of Canadian troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan even before 2011. 33% think the bulk of the troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2011. Only 7% would agree to any further extension past 2011.
- November 2008 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: More than two-thirds of Britons want their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan in 2009. A majority 68% of Britons want their government to end its military deployment in Afghanistan within the next 12 months. Only 24% think they should stay past November 2009. 75% of women, 59% of men, and 75% of adults in the 18-24 age group said they wanted the troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan.
- November 2008 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: Most Germans feel their country is already doing enough in Afghanistan and are clearly against sending more troops to Afghanistan. The majority 80% of Germans say that a U.S. request for more troops should be refused, while only 15% support more involvement.
- October 2008 - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: 47% of Japanese support and 43% of Japanese oppose a 1-year extension of a controversial naval mission to provide fuel and other logistical support in the Indian Ocean to US-led military forces fighting in Afghanistan.
- October 2008 - Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
: More than two-thirds of Czechs, 70%, are against their government raising the number of Czech soldiers in Afghanistan, while 30% support it. The majority of Czechs, 57%, are opposed to the deployment of their soldiers abroad, while a minority 43% agree with it.
- September 2008 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: The majority 56% of Australians oppose the continuation of their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, while a minority of 42% support it. Only half of Australians have confidence in their government's long-term strategy there.
- September 2008 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority of people in France want their government to pull their troops out of Afghanistan. A 62% majority of French citizens are opposed to keeping their troops in Afghanistan, while 34% support keeping them there.
- September 2008 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: The vast majority of Poles are against their country's military involvement in the NATO mission in Afghanistan. 74% of Poles express disapproval of the presence of their troops in Afghanistan, while only 21% support it. A majority 60% of Poles think that their military involvement in Afghanistan could bring about a terrorist attack, while 30% do not. Most Poles are skeptical that the goals of the NATO mission in Afghanistan will be fulfilled: 65% doubt that the mission will contribute to bringing peace to the country, while only 19% think it will.
- September 2008 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The number of Canadians who disapprove of their country's military action in Afghanistan is at its highest point since Canada became involved in the war in 2002. The majority 56% of Canadians disapprove of their country's military action in Afghanistan, while a minority 41% approve of it. Almost two-thirds of Canadians, 65%, say the mission is not likely to be successful, while only 28% think it is likely to be successful. The majority 54% of Canadians disagree with an extension of the mission past February 2009, while a minority 41% agree with it.
- August 2008 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority of French voters want their troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan. 55% of French citizens want their government led by Nicolas SarkozyNicolas SarkozyNicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
to bring their troops home, while 36% are in favour of keeping them in Afghanistan.
- August 2008 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 54% of Americans are not confident that U.S. efforts in Afghanistan will be successful, while only 17% are confident of success. Only 11% think the situation in Afghanistan is improving, while the plurality 37% think the situation is getting worse.
- July 2008 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority of Canadians believe their government was wrong to lengthen their country’s military mission in Afghanistan. 58% of Canadians disagree with their government's proposed extension of the mission past February 2009, while 36% agree with it.
- July 2008 - NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
: 45% of Norwegians oppose their country's military participation in Afghanistan, while 42% support it.
- July 2008 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 51% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been successful, while 44% think it has been successful. 51% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting.
- July 2008 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 68% of Americans think that the U.S. did not make a mistake in sending military forces to Afghanistan, down from 72% in 2004 and 93% in 2002. 51% Americans think that things are going badly for the U.S. in Afghanistan, up from 46% in 2006, while 46% believe things are going well, down from 49% in 2006.
- June 2008 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The majority of people in Britain want their soldiers in Afghanistan to return home. 54% of Britons think the troops should be brought back from Afghanistan, while 34% think they should remain.
- June 2008 - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: 56% of Spaniards want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 34% want them to stay.
- June 2008 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: 54% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 46% want them to stay.
- June 2008 - BritainUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: 48% want US & NATO troops to stay in Afghanistan until the situation there has stabilized, while 43% want them to leave as soon as possible.
- June 2008 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: 65% of Poles want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 24% want them to stay.
- June 2008 - TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
: 68% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 25% want them to stay.
- June 2008 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 50% want US & NATO troops to stay in Afghanistan until the situation there has stabilized, while 44% want them to leave as soon as possible.
- June 2008 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: 54% of Germans want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 43% want them to stay.
- June 2008 - JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
: 76% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 16% want them to stay.
- June 2008 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: 60% of Australians want US & NATO troops to stay in Afghanistan until the situation there has stabilized, while 33% want them to leave as soon as possible.
- June 2008 - IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
: 42% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 33% want them to stay.
- June 2008 - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: 60% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 32% want them to stay.
- June 2008 - South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
: 46% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible; 37% want them to stay.
- May 2008 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority of Canadians believe their government was wrong to lengthen their country’s military mission in Afghanistan. 54% of Canadians disagree with their government's proposed extension of the military mission past February 2009, while 41% agree with it.
- April 2008 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: The vast majority of Poles are against their country's military mission in Afghanistan. Over three-quarters of Poles oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, and almost two-thirds of Poles feel that no military operation is going to bring peace to that country. The majority 57% of Poles think that their country's military participation in Afghanistan and Iraq is likely to provoke terrorist attacks in Poland.
- April 2008 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: 49% of Dutch citizens are against the mission and want their government to pull their troops out from Afghanistan in the summer of 2008, while 44% support it.
- April 2008 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: 49% of Dutch citizens oppose the Dutch engagement in Uruzgan province, while 46% support it.
- April 2008 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: The majority in France rejects a larger role in Afghanistan. 68% of French citizens are against their government's plan under Nicolas Sarkozy to increase the number of their troops in Afghanistan, while only 15% support his increase.
- March 2008 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: The plurality 48% in the United Kingdom oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, while 40% support it.
- March 2008 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: The majority of Canadians believe their government was wrong to lengthen their country’s military mission in Afghanistan. 58% of Canadians disagree with their government's proposed extension of the military mission past February 2009, while only 37% agree with it.
- February 2008 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 63% of Germans do not think the Afghanistan mission is in their country's best interests. An overwhelming 86% majority of Germans are opposed to having German troops become more deeply involved in the fighting.
- February 2008 - NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
: 57% of Norwegians support Norway's participation in NATO's mission in Afghanistan mission, while 32% oppose the participation.
- January 2008 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: 50% of Dutch citizens oppose the Dutch engagement in Uruzgan province, while 43% support it.
- January 2008 - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: 56% of Italians want their soldiers to leave Afghanistan.
- January 2008 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: 56% of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan, while only 39% support.
2007
- December 2007 - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: 62% of Britons believe their troops should be withdrawn from Afghanistan, either immediately or in the next year or so, while only 27% feel they should stay in Afghanistan.
- December 2007 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 56% of Americans approve of the U.S. military action in Afghanistan, while 41% of Americans are opposed to it. However, 58% think neither side is winning.
- December 2007 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: 51% of Dutch citizens disagree with their government's continuation of the Dutch military mission in Uruzgan, while 44% support it.
- December 2007 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: 43% of Dutch citizens oppose their government's extension of their country's military role in Afghanistan, while only 24% support it.
- December 2007 - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: 47% of Japan's citizens oppose Japan's role in Afghanistan, while 39% support it.
- November 2007 - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
: 51% of Dutch citizens disagree with their government's continuation of the Dutch military mission in Uruzgan, while 44% support it.
- October 2007 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: 50% of Australians oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan. Three-quarters of Australians see their country's involvement in the war in Afghanistan as making their nation more of a terrorist target.
- September 2007 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: The vast majority of people in Poland oppose the presence of their country’s soldiers in Afghanistan: 72% of Poles are against Poland’s participation in the war in Afghanistan, while only 22% support it.
- September 2007 - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: 46% of Australians would bring an end to Australia's military involvement in Afghanistan, while 46% disagree.
- August 2007 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: 60% of Germans want their troops brought home.
- July 2007 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: The vast majority of Poles oppose the mission in Afghanistan. 78% of Poles oppose the presence of Polish soldiers in Afghanistan, while only 17% support it.
- August 2007 - FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
: 68% of Finns would keep the same number of soldiers in Afghanistan, 19% would withdraw all soldiers, 6% would send more soldiers, and 7% did not know. 52% of Finns oppose adding Afghanistan to the list of countries receiving development assistance from Finland, while 32% support doing so. At the time of the poll, Finland had fewer than 100 troops in Afghanistan - located in the northern part of the country - and one Finnish soldier had died in the conflict.
- July 2007 - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: 59% of Canadians oppose sending troops to Afghanistan, while only 36% support.
- June 2007 - European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
: The majority 65% of Europeans oppose the use of their troops to conduct combat operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Only a minority 31% of Europeans support combat operations in Afghanistan.
- June 2007 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 50% want US & NATO troops to stay in Afghanistan, while 42% want them to leave as soon as possible.
- June 2007 - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: 67% of Spaniards want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 22% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: 51% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 48% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - BritainUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: 45% want US & NATO troops to stay in Afghanistan, while 42% want them to leave as soon as possible.
- June 2007 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
: 63% of Poles want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 24% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
: 74% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 11% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: 49% of Germans want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 44% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
: 78% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 15% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
: 49% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 34% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: 47% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 29% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
: 60% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 28% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: 55% of Italians want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 32% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
: 45% of Swedes want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 34% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
: 60% of Bulgarians want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 21% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
: 45% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while 45% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
: 58% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 29% want them to stay.
- June 2007 - UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
: 72% want US & NATO troops to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, while only 11% want them to stay.
- 2007 - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: Over 51% of Spaniards want to get Spanish troops out of Afghanistan altogether.
- May 2007 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 56% of Germans want their country's soldiers withdrawn from Afghanistan.
- March 2007 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: The majority 57% of Germans want a complete withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan, while only 36% favor continued engagement.
- March 2007 - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: 70% of Italians oppose their country's military presence in Afghanistan, while only 27% support it.
- February 2007 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: 77% of Germans oppose their government's proposal of having as many as eight Tornado reconnaissance jets with 500 pilots and support staff for the south of Afghanistan.
- January 2007 - United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: A majority 52% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while 44% favour it.
International public opinion compared to American public opinion
In October 2001, a poll by CNN/Gallup/USA Today indicated that about 88% of Americans backed military action in Afghanistan, and a poll by Market Opinion Research indicated that about 65% of Britons supported having British troops involved. On the other hand, a large-scale 37-nation poll of world opinion carried out by Gallup International in late September 2001, found that large majorities in most countries favoured a legal response, in the form of extradition and trial, over a military response to 9/11: Only in just 3 countries out of the 37 surveyed - the United States, Israel, and India - did majorities favour military action in Afghanistan. In 34 out of the 37 countries surveyed, the survey found many clear and sizeable majorities that did not favour military action: in the United Kingdom (75%), France (67%), Switzerland (87%), Czech Republic (64%), Lithuania (83%), Panama (80%), Mexico (94%), etc.This dichotomy between American and international public opinion on the military operations in Afghanistan continues to be seen, although opposition to the war in Afghanistan is growing in the U.S. as well. A Gallup poll conducted July 10–12, 2009 reported that the majority 61% of Americans do not think the U.S. made a mistake in sending military forces to Afghanistan in 2001, while 36% of Americans do. 54% also thought things are going well for the U.S. in Afghanistan. An Angus Reid poll conducted July 15–18, 2009, found that 55% of Americans support the military operation, while only 35% oppose it. About half, 49%, of Americans thought their country did the right thing in sending military forces to Afghanistan. About half, 48%, of Americans felt that they did not have a clear idea of what the war in Afghanistan is about.
Outside the United States, on the other hand, international public opinion has been largely opposed to the war in Afghanistan. In a 47-nation June 2007 survey of global public opinion, the Pew Global Attitudes Project found considerable opposition to U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan. Only in just 4 out of the 47 countries surveyed was there a majority that favoured keeping military troops in Afghanistan: the U.S. (50%), Israel (59%), Ghana (50%), and Kenya (60%). In 41 of the 47 countries, pluralities want U.S. and NATO military troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. In 32 out of 47 countries, clear majorities want U.S. and NATO military troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. Majorities in 7 out of 12 NATO member countries say troops should be withdrawn as soon as possible.
The 24-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey in June 2008 similarly found that majorities or pluralities in 21 of 24 countries want the U.S. and NATO to remove their troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible. Only in 3 out of the 24 countries - the U.S. (50%), Australia (60%), and Britain (48%) - did public opinion lean more toward keeping troops there until the situation has stabilized. Since that poll, views in Britain and Australia have also diverged from public opinion in the United States, and clear majorities in both Britain and Australia now want their troops to be brought back home from the war in Afghanistan. Of the seven NATO countries included in the survey, none showed a majority in favor of keeping U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan until the situation stabilised - only one, the United States, came close to a majority (50%). Of the other six NATO countries, five had clear majorities of their population wanting U.S. and NATO troops to be removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible: Spain (56%), France (54%), Germany (54%), Poland (65%), and Turkey (72%).
The 25-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey in June 2009 continued to find the war in Afghanistan to be unpopular in most nations, with most publics wanting American and NATO troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. The 2009 global survey reported that majorities or pluralities in 18 out of 25 countries want U.S. and NATO to remove their military troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible. (Changes from the 2008 survey included Tanzania, South Africa, and Australia having been replaced by Israel, Kenya, the Palestinian Territories, and Canada in the survey, as well as shifts in opinions in India and Nigeria.) In only 4 out of 25 countries was there a majority that favoured keeping U.S. and NATO military troops in Afghanistan - the U.S. (57%), Israel (59%), Kenya (56%), and Nigeria (52%). In only 1 of the 8 NATO countries included in the survey - the U.S. - was there a majority in favour of keeping U.S. and NATO military troops in Afghanistan until the situation stabilised. Despite repeated American calls for NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, there was majority or plurality opposition to such action in all seven of the other NATO countries surveyed: Germany (63% disapprove), France (62%), Poland (57%), Canada (55%), Britain (51%), Spain (50%), and Turkey (49%).
The 22-nation Pew Global Attitudes survey released in June 2010 again continued to find the war in Afghanistan unpopular in most nations. The poll reported that majorities or pluralities in 16 of 22 countries want the U.S.-led military forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". In only one single country out of the 22 was there a majority that supported keeping U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan until the situation stabilizes (57% in Kenya).
Growing American opposition to the war
While support for the war in Afghanistan continues to be strongest in the U.S. and Israel, recent polls have also shown growing opposition in the U.S., including majority opposition.A Washington Post - ABC poll conducted July 15–18, 2009 found that just half of Americans, 51%, think the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting, while nearly half, 45%, think the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting - a statistical tie within the poll's ±3 point margin of error. The American public is also closely divided on whether the United States is making significant progress toward winning the war, with 46% thinking so and 42% not.
An Associated Press - GfK poll conducted July 16–20, 2009 found that the majority 53% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 44% support it. It furthermore found that the plurality of Americans, 34%, strongly opposed the war in Afghanistan, while only 20% strongly favored it. (Another 19% somewhat opposed the war in Afghanistan, 20% somewhat favored it, and 3% did not know or declined to answer.)
A CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted July 31 - August 3, 2009 also found that most Americans now oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan. In a new low in American public support for the war, 54% of Americans said they opposed the U.S. war, while only 41% supported it.
Following the August 20, 2009 election
Afghan presidential election, 2009
The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
in Afghanistan that was characterized by widespread lack of security and massive fraud, and capping off the two deadliest months for U.S. troops in the 8-year war, the CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted August 28–31, 2009 registered the highest level of opposition to the U.S. war in Afghanistan the poll has yet seen. A majority 57% of Americans now oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 42% still support it.
A Washington Post - ABC News poll conducted September 10–12, 2009 reported that:
The poll found that the plurality 42% of Americans now want a reduction of the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and that only 26% of Americans think more troops should be sent to Afghanistan.
The CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted September 11–13, 2009, found that American opposition to the war reached a new all-time high, while American support for the U.S. war fell to a new all-time low. The majority 58% of Americans now oppose the war in Afghanistan, while only 39% support it.
Keating Holland, CNN's polling director, observed that:
He noted that support for the war in Iraq had first dropped to 39 percent in June 2005 then generally remained in the low to mid-30s since.
The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted October 1–5, 2009 found the majority 57% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, up 4% from July, while 40% favor the war, down 4% from July.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2009 found that the majority 58% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 40% support it. The majority 56% of Americans also oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 42% favor doing so.
The Pew Research poll conducted Oct. 28 - Nov. 8, 2009 found that the majority 59% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to the war in Afghanistan: The plurality 40% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, and 19% want the number of troops to remain unchanged. Only 32% support sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
The Gallup poll conducted Nov. 5-8, 2009 found that the majority 51% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan: The plurality 44% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, and 7% want the number to be kept unchanged.
The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted November 5–9, 2009 again found that the majority 57% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 39% favor it.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted November 12–15, 2009 found that the majority 52% of Americans now say the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, a new high in opposition for the poll question first asked in 2007, and that only 44% say it is worth fighting, a new low in support. The majority 76% of Americans do not feel that withdrawing from Afghanistan would increase the risk of terrorism in the U.S. while only 23% feel that it would.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted Dec. 16-20, 2009 found that the majority 55% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while 43% support it.
The AP/GfK poll conducted January 12–17, 2010 found that the majority 54% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 43% support it. The plurality of Americans, 32%, "strongly oppose" the war in Afghanistan, while only 18% "strongly favor" it. The majority 55% of Americans oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 41% would support doing so. The plurality 34% of Americans "strongly oppose" sending any more troops, while only 17% "strongly favor" doing so.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted April 22–25, 2010 showed that the majority 52% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, and the plurality 38% of Americans "strongly" think that it has not been worth fighting. A minority 45% of Americans think that the war being carried out in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, with only a minority 26% of Americans that feel that way strongly.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted May 21–23, 2010 found that the majority 56% of Americans oppose their country's war in Afghanistan, while 42% support it.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted June 3–6, 2010 showed that the majority 53% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, and the plurality 41% of Americans "strongly" think that it has not been worth fighting. A minority 44% of Americans think that the war being carried out in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, with only a minority 26% of Americans that feel that way strongly.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted July 7–11, 2010 found that the large majority of Americans, 76%, want to start withdrawing troops by next summer or sooner: 45% call Obama's plan to start withdrawing troops by next summer "about right", and an additional 31% call for the withdrawal to start even sooner. Only 18% think the withdrawal should start later. The majority 53% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, with the plurality 38% of Americans "strongly" feeling so. The poll reported that support for the war in Afghanistan hit a new low in the United States: only 43% of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, down sharply since the end of the previous year, and the lowest since the question was asked in February 2007.
The CBS News poll conducted July 9–12, 2010 found that the majority 58% of Americans want their troops withdrawn from the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan within the next one or two years, and only 35% were willing to have U.S. troops stay longer than two years from now. One-third, 33%, of Americans think large numbers of U.S. troops should be withdrawn in less than a year, another 23% think that should be done within one or two years, and 2% want an immediate withdrawal. Only 26% of Americans think U.S. troops should remain for as long as it takes, 7% think they should stay another two to five years, and 2% think they should stay for another five to ten years.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted August 6-10, 2010 showed the American public's opposition to the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan at an all-time high. The majority 62% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, the highest level since the poll question was asked in 2006, while only 37% favored the U.S. war, an all-time low.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted December 17-19, 2010 again showed the American public's opposition to their country's nine-year war in Afghanistan reaching a new all-time high. The majority 63% of Americans oppose the U.S. war in that country, the highest level reached since the poll question was asked in 2006, while only 35% favored the U.S. war, again a new all-time low.
Opposition by the American public to the war in Afghanistan also reached an all-time high in polling by ABC News and the Washington Post in December 2010. A record 60% majority of Americans say the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while only 34% say it has, a new record low of support of the war. The unpopularity of the war has now reached the levels seen for the war in Iraq. The overwhelming 81% majority of Americans want the withdrawal of American military forces to begin within a few months - either in the summer of 2011 as pledged by President Obama, or even sooner than that.
In January 2011, the USA Today / Gallup poll of January 14-16 reported that the majority 72% of Americans want the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan to be accelerated - including clear majorities in the three political groups - while only a minority 25% disagree. Of note, the plurality of Americans, 41%, "strongly" favor speeding up the withdrawal from Afghanistan, while only a very small 6% minority "strongly" oppose doing so.
In March 2011, the Washington Post / ABC News poll of March 10-13 reported that the majority 64% of Americans say that the war in Afghanistan is no longer worth fighting - the highest level of American opposition to the war measured by the poll - while only 31% thought it was - the lowest level of support to date. Nearly three-quarters of Americans, 73%, want President Obama to withdraw a "substanstial number" of combat troops from Afghanistan this summer - while only 21% do not. Nearly half of Americans, the plurality 49%, "strongly" think the war is not worth fighting, while only 17% strongly think it is.
Following the targeted killing
Targeted killing
Targeted killing is the deliberate, specific targeting and killing, by a government or its agents, of a supposed terrorist or of a supposed "unlawful combatant" who is not in that government's custody...
of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
by a specially-trained U.S. covert unit, the USA Today / Gallup poll of May 5-8, 2011, reported that the majority 59% of Americans think the U.S. has finished its work in Afghanistan and its troops should be brought home. Only 36% disagreed, and not a single major demographic group had a majority that favored keeping U.S. military forces in Afghanistan.
The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted May 5-9, 2011 reported that the majority 59% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan, with the plurality 32% of Americans "strongly" opposed to it. Only 37% of Americans favored the war, the lowest level of support to date. The majority 80% of Americans approve of President Barack Obama's decision to end all U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan by 2014 and to begin the withdrawal of combat troops in July, with the plurality 52% "strongly" approving the ending of combat operations. Only a minority 15% disapproved, with only 8% "strongly" disapproving. The majority 83% of Americans think the announced pace of withdrawal is either about right or too slow, while only a 15% minority think it is too fast.
The CBS News / New York Times poll of June 24-28, 2011 reported that the majority 58% of Americans oppose the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan - the highest level of opposition yet recorded by the poll - while only 35% thought the U.S. was doing the "right thing" in fighting its war in Afghanistan. An overwhelming 79% of Americans approve of the announced withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, with the majority 59% of Americans wanting even more than one-third of all U.S. troops withdrawn from Afghanistan within the next year, by the end of summer 2012. Altogether, the overwhelming 85% majority of Americans - including the 75% majority of Republicans - want at least one-third of U.S. troops withdrawn within the next year, by the end of summer 2012.
The Pew Research Center poll released at the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the longest period of sustained warfare in its history, reported that the majority 52% of Americans think that, considering the costs versus the benefits to the United States, the war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while 41% think it has.
| Date | Favor | Oppose | Unsure |
| Jun. 3-7, 2011 | 36% | 62% | 2% |
| May 2, 2011 | 42% | 52% | 5% |
| Jan. 21-23, 2011 | 40% | 58% | 1% |
| Dec. 17-19, 2010 | 35% | 63% | 5% |
| Oct. 5-7, 2010 | 37% | 58% | 5% |
| Sep. 21-23, 2010 | 39% | 58% | 3% |
| Sep. 1-2, 2010 | 41% | 57% | 2% |
| Aug. 6-10, 2010 | 37% | 62% | 1% |
| May 21–23, 2010 | 42% | 56% | 2% |
| Mar. 19-21, 2010 | 48% | 49% | 3% |
| Jan. 22-24, 2010 | 47% | 52% | 1% |
| Dec. 16-20, 2009 | 43% | 55% | 3% |
| Dec. 2-3, 2009 | 46% | 51% | 2% |
| Nov. 13-15, 2009 | 45% | 52% | 3% |
| Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2009 | 40% | 58% | 2% |
| Oct. 16 - 18, 2009 | 41% | 57% | 2% |
| Sep. 11- 13, 2009 | 39% | 58% | 3% |
| Aug. 28 - Aug. 31, 2009 | 42% | 57% | 2% |
| Jul. 31 - Aug. 3, 2009 | 41% | 54% | 5% |
| May 14–17, 2009 | 50% | 48% | 3% |
| Apr. 3-5, 2009 | 53% | 46% | 1% |
| Feb. 18-19, 2009 | 47% | 51% | 2% |
| Dec. 1-2, 2008 | 52% | 46% | 2% |
| Jul. 27-29, 2008 | 46% | 52% | 2% |
| Jan. 19-21, 2007 | 44% | 52% | 4% |
| Sep. 22-24, 2006 | 50% | 48% | 2% |
(Pluralities over the ±3 margin of error indicated in bold. Lowest levels indicated in italics. Source: CNN/Opinion Research Corporation )
| Date | Favor | Oppose | Don't know / Refused |
| May. 5-9, 2011 | 37% | 59% | 3% |
| Sep. 8-13, 2010 | 37% | 62% | 3% |
| Aug. 11-16, 2010 | 38% | 58% | 3% |
| March. 3-8, 2010 | 46% | 50% | 3% |
| Jan. 12-17, 2010 | 43% | 54% | 3% |
| Dec. 10-14, 2009 | 39% | 57% | 4% |
| Nov. 05-09, 2009 | 39% | 57% | 4% |
| Oct. 01-05, 2009 | 40% | 57% | 3% |
| Jul. 16-20, 2009 | 44% | 53% | 4% |
(Pluralities over the ±3.1 margin of error indicated in bold. Lowest levels indicated in italics. Source: AP/GfK )
| Date | Right thing | Should not be involved | Unsure |
| September 28 - October 2, 2011 | 34% | 57% | 9% |
| June 24-28, 2011 | 35% | 58% | 7% |
| June 3-7, 2011 | 43% | 51% | 6% |
| March 18-21, 2011 | 39% | 53% | 8% |
| February 11-14, 2011 | 37% | 54% | 9% |
| September 10-14, 2010 | 38% | 54% | 8% |
| August 20-24, 2010 | 43% | 48% | 9% |
| December 4-8, 2009 | 49% | 39% | 11% |
| October 5-8, 2009 | 51% | 39% | 10% |
| September 19-123, 2009 | 47% | 42% | 11% |
(Pluralities over the ±3 margin of error indicated in bold. Lowest levels indicated in italics. Source: CBS News )
Dichotomy between Republicans and Democrats
A strong dichotomy between RepublicansRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
exists as well. The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted July 16–20, 2009 found 66% of Republicans favoring the war in Afghanistan, while only 26% of Democrats do.
The CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted July 31 - August 3, 2009 found that nearly two-thirds of Republicans support the war in Afghanistan, while three quarters of Democrats oppose the war. CNN polling director Keating Holland said:
An ABC News-Washington Post poll conducted Aug. 13-17, 2009 found that 78% of conservative Republicans think the war in Afghanistan is worth fighting, while only 22% of liberal Democrats do. 65% of conservative Republicans also think that the U.S. is winning the war in Afghanistan. 64% of liberal Democrats want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, while only 22% of conservative Republicans do.
A McClatchy-Ipsos poll conducted August 27–31, 2009, reported that 66% of Democrats and 67% of independents oppose sending more U.S. combat troops to Afghanistan. Only in one group was there a majority in favor of sending more combat troops to Afghanistan, with 52% of Republicans favoring a further escalation.
The CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted August 28–31, 2009 again showed that most of the support for the U.S. war is from Republicans. Seven in ten Republicans support the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while nearly three quarters of Democrats oppose the war, as do 57% of independents.
The Washington Post - ABC News poll conducted September 10–12, 2009 found that the majority 56% of Democrats want a reduction of the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, while the plurality 39% of Republicans want more troops to be sent to the war. Only 17% of Democrats support sending any more troops to Afghanistan. The poll also reported that the majority 59% of Democrats think the "war on terrorism" can be a success without winning in Afghanistan, while the majority 66% of Republicans think the war in Afghanistan must be won to win the "war on terrorism".
The CNN - Opinion Research poll conducted September 11–13, 2009 found that only 23% of Democrats and only 39% independents support the war, while a majority 62% of Republicans support the war. The majority 75% of Democrats oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan.
The USA Today - Gallup poll conducted September 22–23, 2009 found that the majority 62% of Democrats oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while the majority 63% of Republicans favor sending more U.S. troops there. The majority 53% of Democrats want to in fact begin a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, while only 24% of Republicans want a withdrawal to begin. Only 30% of Democrats support sending more U.S. troops. Nearly half, 49% of independents oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, and the plurality 43% of independents also want to begin to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
The Pew Research Center poll conducted September 10–15, 2009 found that the majority 56% of Democrats want to remove U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan "as soon as possible", while, in contrast, 71% of Republicans favor keeping them there. By nearly two to one, 55% to 29%, Republicans also thought the U.S. is making progress rather than losing ground in defeating the Taliban militarily. Among Democrats and independents 46% and 49%, respectively, said the U.S. is losing ground in defeating the Taliban militarily.
The Associated Press - GfK poll conducted October 1–5, 2009 found that the majority 57% of Democrats oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan, while, on the other hand, the majority 69% of Republicans favor sending more troops there.
The Clarus Research poll conducted October 1–4, 2009, found that only 17% of Democrats supported sending more troops - The solid majority 61% of Democrats want to "decrease U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan and begin to get out". In contrast, the majority 54% of Republicans favor sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Ron Faucheux, president of Clarus Research Group, said:
In a USA Today / Gallup poll conducted October 6, 2009, 59% of Democrats, and 50% of independents, opposed sending any more troops, while 73% of Republicans favored sending more troops. Half, 50%, of Democrats wanted President Obama to begin to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, while only 18% of Republicans wanted this.
In the CBS News poll conducted October 5–8, 2009, the majority 52% of Democrats wanted to decrease the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, while the majority 57% of Republicans want to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Only 27% of Democrats support sending more troops to Afghanistan. The majority 76% of Republicans think the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting the war, while, on the other hand, the plurality 49% of Democrats think the U.S. should not be involved in Afghanistan.
In the ABC News - Washington Post poll conducted October 15–18, 2009, the majority 60% of Democrats opposed sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while the majority 69% of Republicans favored sending more troops there. Only 36% of Democrats felt the war was worth fighting, while 71% of Republicans did.
In the Pew Research poll conducted Oct. 28 - Nov. 8, 2009, the majority 70% of Democrats oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 48% of Republicans favor sending more troops there. The plurality 50% of Democrats want the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be reduced, while 25% of Republicans did as well.
In the Gallup poll conducted Nov. 5-8, 2009, the majority 66% of Democrats oppose sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, while 63% of Republicans want to send more troops there. The majority 60% of Democrats want President Obama to, in fact, begin reducing U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan. 26% of Republicans wanted a reduction in troops to begin. Gallup noted:
In the ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted November 12–15, 2009, the political divide in the U.S. over the war continued: the majority 66% of Democrats say the war is not worth fighting, with narly half of Democrats, 48%, feeling strongly that the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, while, on the other hand, the majority 60% of Republicans say that it is worth fighting, with 43% of Republicans feeling strongly that it is.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted May 21–23, 2010 noted that the war in Afghanistan remained popular with Republicans, with a majority two-thirds of them favoring continuation of the war. On the other hand, only a minority of around one in four, 27%, of Democrats supported the war, and among independents support has fallen to only 40%.
The Pew Global Attitudes survey released in June 2010 also noted the significant partisan difference, finding that nearly two-thirds, a 65% majority, of Republicans wanted to continue to keep the U.S.-led military forces in Afghanistan indefinitely, while only around one-third, a 36% minority, of Democrats supported this.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted June 3–6, 2010 similarly reported that the majority 62% of Republicans think the almost-nine-year war imposed on on that country has been worth its costs to the U.S., while the majority two-thirds, 66%, of Democrats and 53% of independents think it has not been worth fighting. In fact, the majority 54% of Democrat-leaning Americans "strongly" think that the war has not been worth fighting.
The CBS News poll conducted July 9–12, 2010 also reported the strong partisan divide over the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan. The large 73% majority of Democrats want a timetable set for withdrawal, while the majority 66% of Republicans do not. The nearly-three-quarters majority, 74%, of Democrats want most U.S. troops to be withdrawn within a year or two, while a majority 52% of Republicans want them to stay longer than another two years.
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted October 5-7, 2010 reported that the over-two-thirds majority of Democrats, 68%, oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while, on the other hand, the majority 51% of Republicans favor the U.S. war in Afghanistan, the only group of respondents to do so. Only 28% of Democrats support the U.S. war. Among Independents, the majority 61% oppose the U.S. war in Afghanistan, while only 35% support it.
The ABC News / Washington Post poll conducted December 9-12, 2010 continued to find that Republicans remained the most supportive of warfare in Afghanistan: albeit down a dramatic 35% from the peak in 2007, 50% of Republicans still say the war has been worth fighting in that country. Among Democrats only a minority 36% think the war has been worth fighting.
In the CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted December 17-19, 2010, the three-quarters majority of Democrat voters oppose the war, as do more than six in ten independent voters, while, on the other hand, 52% of Republicans, and 52% of Tea Party supporters, supported continuation of the nine-year U.S. war in Afghanistan.
The Washington Post / ABC News poll conducted March 10-13, 2011 reported that only 19% of Democratic voters think the war is worth fighting - compared to half of Republican supporters, the chief constituency supporting the war. The majority two-thirds of independent voters think the war is not worth fighting, while only about one-in-four think it is. Nearly 80% of independent voters want Barack Obama to withdraw a "substantial number" of troops from Afghanistan "this summer".
In the USA Today / Gallup poll conducted May 5-8, 2011, a week following the targeted killing
Targeted killing
Targeted killing is the deliberate, specific targeting and killing, by a government or its agents, of a supposed terrorist or of a supposed "unlawful combatant" who is not in that government's custody...
of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
by a specially-trained U.S. covert unit, Democrat and independent voters, by a 2-to-1 margin, believe the U.S. has finished its work in Afghanistan and should now bring its troops home. The majority two-thirds of Democrat voters, 66%, think that U.S. troops should now be brought home, as do the majority 62% of independent voters. Among Republican voters, an equal number, 47%, think that the American troops should be brought home from Afghanistan, and 47% do not. Not a single major demographic group had a majority that favored keeping U.S. military forces in Afghanistan.
In the Gallup poll conducted June 25-26, 2011, the vast majority of Democrat and independent voters favor the announced withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2014. An overwhelming 87% of Democrat voters and 74% of independent voters favor the planned withdrawal, with only 11% and 21% opposed. On the other hand, 50% of Republican voters also favor the announced withdrawal, while 43% opposed it. In the very same poll, however, 54% of Republicans thought a timetable should not be set.
In the CBS News / New York Times poll conducted June 24-28, 2011, the majority 60% of Democrat voters and 63% of independent voters oppose their country's military involvement in Afghanistan, while only 32% and 28%, respectively, support it. An overwhelming 90% of Democrat voters and 79% of independent voters approved of the plan to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. An overwhelming 94% of Democrat voters and 84% of independent voters want at least one-third of U.S. troops withdrawn within a year, by the end of summer 2012. On the other hand, Republican voters were split, with 48% opposed to the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and 47% supporting it. However, the majority two-thirds, 67%, of Republican voters approve of President Obama's plan to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and 75% want at least one-third of the trooops withdrawn within a year, by the end of summer 2012.
In the Pew Research Center poll released at the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the longest period of sustained warfare in its history, the majority 59% of Democrat voters and the majority 58% of independent voters think the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan has not been worth fighting, while only 34% and 36%, respectively, think it has. On the other hand, the majority 56% of Republicans think the decade-long war has been worth fighting, while 37% think it has not.
Increasing opposition to the war among conservatives
In a January 2011 poll of conservatives however, the majority two-thirds (66%) of self-identified conservative voters and Tea PartyTea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
supporters call for either a reduction of U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan (the 39% plurality) or a complete withdrawal "as soon as possible" (27%). Only a minority 24% think that the current levels of troops should be maintained. The majority 71% of conservative voters, including over two-thirds of Tea Party supporters, are worried that the war's cost to American taxpayers - $120 billion spent on the war in 2010 - will make it more difficult to reduce the U.S. deficit next year and balance the U.S. federal budget in the next decade. The poll for the Afghanistan Study Group was conducted January 4-10, 2011.
A USA Today / Gallup poll conducted January 14-16, 2011 also reported that, while still coming behind an overwhelming 86% majority of Democrats and 72% majority of independents, there was now also a clear 61% majority of self-identified conservatives calling for an accelerated withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
In the Gallup poll conducted June 25-26, 2011, 50% of Republican voters generally favor the announced withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2014, while 43% opposed it.
In the CBS News / New York Times poll conducted June 24-28, 2011, the majority 67% of Republican voters approve of the plan to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of summer 2012, and the majority 75% of Republican voters want at least one-third of U.S. troops withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of summer 2012: the plurality 41% of Republican voters want more than one-third of U.S. troops withdrawn in this timeframe, 34% want about a third, while only 18% thought it should be less than one-third.
Opposition of the public among NATO allies of the U.S.
While over 2 out of 3 foreign troops in Afghanistan are American, troops from NATO allies of the U.S. also serve under U.S. command. Opposition to the war, however, runs high among the United States' NATO allies in Afghanistan.2008
In 2008, not one of the six NATO allies in the Pew Global Attitudes survey had majority support for keeping troops in Afghanistan, and five of the six had majorities wanting withdrawal as soon as possible. In 2009, not one of the seven NATO allies in the Pew Global Attitudes survey had majority support for continuing to keep military forces there, but all seven of the NATO allies in the survey had majority or strong plurality opposition to sending more troops.2009
The June 2009 "Transatlantic Trends" survey of 13 NATO countries, also from an American policy think tank, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, further underlined the publics' opposition to the war in NATO countries involved with the U.S. in Afghanistan.The majorities of the populations of all 12 of the NATO nations surveyed in Europe and Turkey want their military forces in Afghanistan to be reduced or completely withdrawn - United Kingdom (60%), France (51%), Germany (57%), Italy (55%), Netherlands (50%), Poland (68%), Portugal (52%), Spain (54%), Slovakia (61%), Bulgaria (72%), Romania (61%), Turkey (50%).
The majority 55% of West Europeans and the majority 69% of East Europeans want to reduce or remove their troops from Afghanistan, with complete troop removal called for by 51% of Poles, 50% of Bulgarians, 48% of Romanians, 41% of Britons, and 41% of Germans.
Despite pressure from the Obama administration to increase their troop levels in Afghanistan, the public is strongly opposed in all 12 of the NATO ally countries surveyed. Over 3 out of every 4 people, 77%, in the 12 NATO countries surveyed in the Europe Union and Turkey oppose sending any more combat troops to Afghanistan. Fewer than 1 in 5 people, 19%, in the 12 NATO countries supported sending more combat troops.
| NATO member | % Support 2009 | % Support 2010 | % Support 2011 |
| United States | 30% | 25% | 6% |
| United Kingdom | 11% | 7% | 3% |
| France | 4% | 4% | 2% |
| Germany | 7% | 7% | 4% |
| Italy | 6% | 4% | 2% |
| Netherlands | 4% | 4% | 5% |
| Poland | 5% | 2% | 2% |
| Portugal | 4% | 2% | 3% |
| Spain | 7% | 6% | 3% |
| Slovakia | 2% | 3% | 2% |
| Bulgaria | 2% | 2% | 1% |
| Romania | 5% | 6% | 2% |
| Turkey | 14% | 16% | 12% |
(Source: German Marshall Fund of the United States - Transatlantic Trends June 2009, 2010, and 2011 surveys)
The poll of the NATO countries, conducted in June 2009, about 2 months before the Afghan election
Afghan presidential election, 2009
The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
, also reported that a majority of Americans, 56%, were optimistic about stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, whereas the majority 62% of people in the 12 NATO countries in Europe and Turkey were not.
In the 2009 Pew Global Attitudes Project survey, again not a single one of the seven NATO allies surveyed had majority support for keeping U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. Despite repeated American calls for their NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan, there was majority or plurality opposition to such action in all seven of the NATO ally countries surveyed: Germany (63% disapprove), France (62%), Poland (57%), Canada (55%), Britain (51%), Spain (50%), and Turkey (49%).
2010
Again in 2010, not a single country of the six NATO allies in the Pew Global Attitudes survey had majority support for keeping troops in Afghanistan. The survey found instead that the majorities and pluralities of the public in 5 out of 6 NATO member countries want the U.S. and NATO military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible". A 67% majority in Turkey, 58% majority in Germany, 52% majority in France, 49% plurality in Spain, 44% plurality in Poland, and 45% in the United Kingdom all want the U.S. and NATO military forces to be removed from Afghanistan "as soon as possible".The Transatlantic Trends June 2010 study by the German Marshall Fund of the United States found that pluralities in every one of the 12 NATO ally countries surveyed, and majorities in 11 out of 12 of them, want to withdraw all or some of their troops from Afghanistan.
For the 12 European NATO countries surveyed as a whole, an overwhelming 70% majority think their country should begin to withdraw troops immediately (36%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (36%). Only a minority 23% think their troops should stay as long as it takes to "stabilize" Afghanistan. The majority 62% of the European NATO populations surveyed want a complete withdrawal of all of their troops (the 43% plurality) or a reduction of troops (19%). Only a minority 28% would keep the troop numbers at their current levels. Only a tiny 6% would agree to send more troops to Afghanistan.
2011
The Transatlantic Trends June 2011 study by the German Marshall Fund of the United States found that majorities in the United States (66%) and in all 11 European NATO member countries surveyed - the United Kingdom (69%), Germany (70%), France (64%), Italy (65%), Poland (73%), Portugal (58%), Spain (57%), Netherlands (55%), Romania (67%), Bulgaria (63%), and Slovakia (64%) - want all or some troops withdrawn from Afghanistan.For all 11 European NATO countries taken as a whole, the majority 66% of Europeans in the NATO countries surveyed want all or some of their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan: the plurality 44% want all of their troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, another 22% want some of their troops to be withdrawn to reduce the number there. Less than one in three, 29%, support maintaining the current number of troops in Afghanistan, and only 3% would support sending yet more troops.
In December 2010, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
, acknowledged the opposition of the public in almost all countries:
See also
- Afghan presidential election, 2009Afghan presidential election, 2009The 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was characterized by lack of security, low voter turnout and widespread ballot stuffing, intimidation, and other electoral fraud....
- Bagram torture and prisoner abuseBagram torture and prisoner abuseIn 2005, The New York Times obtained a 2,000-page United States Army report concerning the homicides of two unarmed civilian Afghan prisoners by U.S. armed forces in 2002 at the Bagram Theater Internment Facility in Bagram, Afghanistan. The prisoners, Habibullah and Dilawar, were chained to the...
- British forces casualties in AfghanistanBritish forces casualties in AfghanistanThe United Kingdom was one of the first countries which took part in Operation Enduring Freedom to topple the Taliban regime in autumn 2001.As of 27 November 2011 there has been a total of 390 fatalities of British Forces personnel including MoD civilians...
- Canadian Afghan detainee abuse scandalCanadian Afghan detainee abuse scandalThe Canadian Afghan detainee issue concerns whether or not the Government of Canada and/or the Canadian Forces had knowledge about alleged abusive treatment of detainees in Afghanistan...
- Canadian Forces casualties in AfghanistanCanadian Forces casualties in AfghanistanThe number of Canadian Forces' fatalities resulting from Canadian military activities in Afghanistan is the largest for any single Canadian military mission since the Korean War between 1950 and 1953...
- Civil war in AfghanistanCivil war in AfghanistanThe Afghan civil war began when the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan took power in a military coup, known as the Saur Revolution, on 27 April 1978. Most of Afghanistan subsequently experienced uprisings against the unpopular Marxist-Leninist PDPA government. The Soviet Union...
- Civilian casualties of the war in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- Coalition casualties in AfghanistanCoalition casualties in AfghanistanAs of November 30, 2011, there have been 2,744 coalition deaths in Afghanistan as part of ongoing coalition operations since the invasion in 2001. In this total, the American figure is for deaths "In and Around Afghanistan" which, as defined by the U.S...
- Criticism of the War on TerrorismCriticism of the War on TerrorismCriticism of the War on Terror addresses the issues, morals, ethics, efficiency, economics, and other questions surrounding the War on Terror...
- Foreign hostages in AfghanistanForeign hostages in AfghanistanTable of contentsKey: Kidnapping and hostage taking has become a common occurrence in Afghanistan following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001...
- German Armed Forces casualties in AfghanistanGerman Armed Forces casualties in AfghanistanWith a contingent of 5,350 soldiers and policemen, Germany is one of the main contributors of troops to coalition operations in Afghanistan. Although German troops mainly operate in the comparatively quiet north of the country, the Bundeswehr has suffered a number of casualties during participation...
- Opposition to the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- Protests against the invasion of AfghanistanProtests against the invasion of AfghanistanThe ongoing decade-long War in Afghanistan has prompted large protests around the world, with the first large-scale demonstrations beginning in the days leading up to the war's official launch on October 7, 2001....
- War in Afghanistan (2001–present)War in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
External links
- Rethink Afghanistan, a ground-breaking documentary focusing on key issues surrounding the war, available for viewing online in 6 parts.
- Part 1: Troops Part 2: Pakistan Part 3: Cost of the War Part 4: Civilian Casualties Part 5: Women Part 6: Security
- Afghanistan by the Numbers - Measuring a War Gone to Hell by Tom Engelhardt, September 8, 2009
- The Afghan Victim Memorial Project
- Casualties in Afghanistan & Iraq
- Human Rights First; Getting to Ground Truth: Investigating U.S. Abuses in the “War on Terror.” (2004)
- Public opinion and the war in Afghanistan
- New Low for Afghanistan War: 47 Percent of Military Families Want Troops Brought Home November 24, 2010
- The Reality Page