Nearly Half of Americans Favor Lowering Troop Levels in Iraq

Gallup News Service ^ | May 13, 2004 | Jeffrey M. Jones

[RWR8189]

But plurality would support president if he requested more troops

PRINCETON, NJ -- The latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll finds an increase over the past few weeks in the percentage of Americans favoring a partial or complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Now, 47% of Americans favor a smaller number of troops in Iraq, up from 37% in mid-April. Fewer Americans today say they would support an increase in U.S. troops if President George W. Bush deemed it necessary than did so a few weeks ago, although a plurality would still support this move. The poll finds Republicans, military veterans, and men in general are among the groups most willing to support an increase in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq.

The poll was conducted May 7-9 as the controversy over U.S. soldiers' treatment of Iraqi prisoners raged. Forty-seven percent of Americans now support a lesser U.S. military presence in Iraq -- either by withdrawing some (18%) or all (29%) U.S. troops from Iraq. Conversely, 25% say the United States should send more troops to Iraq. Twenty-four percent say the number of U.S. troops in Iraq should be kept at its present level.

These results show a change from mid-April, shortly after Bush's nationally televised press conference in which he discussed the problems the United States was facing in Iraq, but before the prison abuse controversy began. At that time, 33% said the United States should send more troops, and only 37% said the United States should withdraw some or all of its troops from Iraq.

 

U.S. Troop Levels in Iraq

Even with all the controversy over U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners, the percentage wanting an increase in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq remains among the highest Gallup has observed since it first began tracking public opinion on this issue last August. The April 16-18 poll marked the high point in the percentage advocating a greater U.S. troop presence in Iraq. The low point came at the beginning of this year, when only 11% favored increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq. That poll was conducted a few weeks after the United States captured former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein

[RWR8189]

Gallup Ping

FReepmail me if you want to be on or off the list.

[lonestar]

Now how would I know how many troops are needed in Iraq? I don't watch CNN!!!!!

[Thebaddog]

Who are you going to trust running this show? Some pollster or an honest man named Bush?

[eclectic]

It seems nearly half of Americans would favor nearly everything. Thank God for the other half!

[Arpege92]

I'd like to hear from the troops themselves. I'd like to hear them tell us what they need and don't need.

[Russ]

This is an example of why we are in danger of losing this war against terrorists. 50% of the people have their head up their you-know-what and are inviting the maniacs to attack us again. I guess whoever said that we should never underestimate the stupidity of the American people was right afterall.

[craig_eddy]

Well, DUH. I favor removing ALL of our troops from Iraq, WHEN THE JOB IS DONE and not a moment sooner.

[no more apples]

So what they're saying is that half of those polled WANT us to lose and the terrorists to win, right?

[Loyal Buckeye]

Message to all pollsters:

Go away. Don't call us, we will call you.

[Kackikat]

Amen, and I favor increasing if needed, and I am glad I belong to the half of americans with common sense..

[W04Man]

It doesn't matter what any of us think. The right people are in charge on the ground, not the press, not the politicians, not the polls, and not even President Bush. He has turned the war over to the Military and rightly so.

[bitt]

'WORDING: Which comes closest to your view about what the U.S. should now do about the number of U.S. troops in Iraq – [ROTATED: the U.S. should send more troops to Iraq, the U.S. should keep the number of troops as it is now, the U.S. should begin to withdraw some troops from Iraq, (or) the U.S. should withdraw all of its troops from Iraq]?'

when you put it THAT way, there is not one of us who doesn't want the troops out...DUUUHHHHHH! I am surprised 50% were strong enough in their opinions to say NO when the wording was such... There is nothing in the question about the timetable, conditions, etc - or the manner in which, like 80% of us would reply:

"Pull our troops out to the borders and bomb the hell out of the insurrectionist cities..."

[Burkeman1]

lol!

[Brandon]

If you go read the whole article, it includes a table showing the results running back to August. The number who wanted to withdraw all troops gradually increased from August through January, and the number who wanted to increase the troop strength gradually declined during the same period (with the exception of an upward spike on the latter preference in early December).

Then Gallup stopped polling until April -- about the time Fallujah blew up. Looking at the two April surveys plus the one in May, it looks like as things got to looking worse in Falujah and Najaf, people started wanting to send more troops; as things settled down again, and it became clear that this was not a general uprising, the numbers returned to their previous state.

[T'wit]

Four out of five people polled are not the other person polled.

[AmericanChef]

Wow! A new poll! Just when we needed one! -sarc.-

[gilliam]

The headline is wrong. In the text it says: "the percentage wanting an increase in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq remains among the highest Gallup has observed since it first began tracking public opinion on this issue last August."

[Living Free in NH]

The headline if Clinton (or any democrat) was running the show (and it means the same thing):

Majority of Americans Believe Troop Level is Where It Should Be

[Agnes Heep]

Yesterday I bought a million-dollar lottery ticket. I'm waiting for the results. The way I see it, I'll either win or lose. Therefore my chances are fifty-fifty.

Similarly, if we cut our troop strength by half, we should only get half the casualties, no?