A 47-nation global survey of public opinion conducted in June 2007 by the Pew Global Attitudes Project found considerable opposition to the NATO military operations in Afghanistan. In 2 out of the 47 countries was there a majority that favoured keeping troops in Afghanistan – Israel (59%) and Kenya (60%). On the other hand, in 41 of the 47 countries pluralities wanted NATO troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. In 32 out of 47 countries majorities wanted NATO troops out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. Majorities in 7 out of 12 NATO member countries wanted troops withdrawn as soon as possible.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 wanted NATO troops removed from Afghanistan as soon as possible. In 3 out of the 24 countries – the U.S. (50%), Australia (60%), and Britain (48%) – public opinion favoured keeping troops there until the situation stabilized. Since then, public opinion in Australia and Britain has shifted, and the majority of Australians and British 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 NATO troops in Afghanistan – one, the U.S., came close to a majority (50%). Of the other six NATO countries, five had majorities of their population wanting 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 was 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 wanted NATO to remove their 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 (Changes from 2008 included Tanzania, South Africa, and Australia having been replaced by Israel, Kenya, the Palestinian Territories, and Canada in the survey, and shifts in opinions in India and Nigeria.)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 4 out of 25 countries was there a majority that favoured keeping NATO 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 showed that the European public wanted their troops to be pulled out and less money spent on the war in Afghanistan.Afghan war exposes flaws in assumption of Nato unity In Afghanistan, 42% of Afghans rated U.S. efforts in the country positively in 2007, down steeply from 68% in 2005, and 57% in 2006. In 2007, 76% of Afghans rated the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban as "a good thing", down from 88% in 2006.
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. Published July 24, 2008. On the other hand, a large-scale 37-nation poll of world opinion carried out by Gallup International in late September 2001, found that majorities in most countries favoured a legal response, in the form of extradition and trial, over a military response to 9/11: In 3 of the 37 countries surveyed – the United States, Israel, and India – did majorities favour military action. In 34 out of the 37 countries surveyed, the survey found 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 continues to be seen, although opposition to the war 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 in 2001, while 36% of Americans do. 54% also thought things are going well for the U.S.. An Angus Reid poll conducted July 15–18, 2009, found that 55% of Americans support the military operation, while 35% oppose it. 49% of Americans thought their country did the right thing in sending military forces. About half, 48%, of Americans felt that they did not have a clear idea of what the war is about.
Outside the United States international public opinion has been largely opposed to the war. In a 47-nation June 2007 survey of global public opinion, the Pew Global Attitudes Project found considerable opposition to NATO operations. In 4 out of the 47 countries surveyed was there a majority that favoured keeping troops: the U.S. (50%), Israel (59%), Ghana (50%), and Kenya (60%). In 41 of the 47 countries, pluralities want NATO troops out as soon as possible. In 32 out of 47 countries, majorities want NATO troops out 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 NATO to remove their troops as soon as possible. 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 majorities in both Britain and Australia now want their troops to be brought back home from the war. Of the seven NATO countries included in the survey, none showed a majority in favor of keeping NATO troops until the situation stabilised – only the United States came close to a majority (50%). Of the other six NATO countries, five had majorities of their population wanting NATO troops to be removed 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 to be unpopular in most nations, with most publics wanting American and NATO troops out as soon as possible. The 2009 global survey reported that majorities or pluralities in 18 out of 25 countries want NATO to remove their 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 4 out of 25 countries was there a majority that favoured keeping NATO troops in Afghanistan – the U.S. (57%), Israel (59%), Kenya (56%), and Nigeria (52%). In 1 of the 8 NATO countries included in the survey – the U.S. – was there a majority in favour of keeping NATO troops 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 unpopular in most nations. The poll reported that majorities or pluralities in 16 of 22 countries want the military forces to be withdrawn "as soon as possible". One country out of the 22 was there a majority that supported keeping troops until the situation stabilizes (57% in Kenya).
United States Growing opposition to the war While support for the war continues to be strongest in the U.S. and Israel, recent polls have also shown growing opposition in the U.S., including majority opposition.We can't fight our way out of Afghanistan
A Washington Post – ABC poll conducted July 15–18, 2009 found that just half of Americans, 51%, think the war is worth fighting, while nearly half, 45%, think the war 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, while 44% support it. It furthermore found that the plurality of Americans, 34%, strongly opposed the war, while 20% strongly favored it. (Another 19% somewhat opposed the war, 20% somewhat favored it, and 3% did not know or declined to answer.)Majority in US oppose both wars Associated Press – GfK poll, July 16–20, 2009
A CNN – Opinion Research poll conducted July 31 – August 3, 2009 also found that most Americans now oppose the war. In a new low in American public support for the war, 54% of Americans said they opposed the war, while 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 war the poll has yet seen. A majority 57% of Americans now oppose the war in Afghanistan, while 42% still support it.CNN – Opinion Research poll August 28–31, 2009August Tied for Deadliest Month in Afghanistan
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 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 war fell to a new all-time low. The majority 58% of Americans now oppose the war, while 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, up 4% from July, while 40% favor the war, down 4% from July.AP-GfK poll conducted October 1–5, 2009
The CNN / Opinion Research poll conducted October 30 – November 1, 2009 found that the majority 58% of Americans oppose the war, while 40% support it. The majority 56% of Americans also oppose sending more U.S. troops, while 42% favor doing so.Most Americans oppose Afghanistan troop boost: poll
The Pew Research poll conducted October 28 – November 8, 2009 found that the majority 59% of Americans oppose sending more U.S. troops: The plurality 40% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops to be reduced, and 19% want the number of troops to remain unchanged. 32% support sending more U.S. troops.
The Gallup poll conducted November 5–8, 2009 found that the majority 51% of Americans oppose sending more U.S. troops: The plurality 44% of Americans want the number of U.S. troops 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, while 39% favor it.Associated Press – GfK poll conducted November 5–9, 2009