Americans split on progress in Afghan war

KABUL, finds a new survey.

About a third of respondents (35%) say the US mission has mostly succeeded, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Some 16% do not know if the US has succeeded or failed.

In 2014 and 2015, opinions about the mission were similarly more negative than positive. Between 2009 and 2011, a majority of Americans said the US would be successful.

The survey, polling 1,754 adults, says Republicans are now more hopeful than Democrats that the US mission in Afghanistan has succeeded in achieving its goals,

“Three years ago, during the presidency of Barack Obama, partisan opinions were nearly the reverse: 42% of Democrats said the US had succeeded, compared with 29% of Republicans.”

As 45% say the US made the right decision in using military force, 39% call it a wrong move. In 2006, 69% said it was the right decision and 20% said it was the wrong decision.

Republicans have expressed more support than Democrats for the decision to use force in Afghanistan, though support has fallen in both camps over the past decade.

About two-thirds of Republicans and Republican leaners (66%) now say it was the right decision to use force in Afghanistan.

About a third of Democrats and Democratic leaners (31%) say the same. About half of Democrats (53%) say it was the wrong decision, compared with 21% of Republicans.

PAN Monitor/mud

Views: 1