Posted on 05/03/2005 4:34:09 PM PDT by LouAvul
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A majority of Americans do not believe it was worth going to war in Iraq, a national poll reported Tuesday.
Fifty-seven percent of those polled said they did not believe it was worth going to war, versus 41 percent who said it was, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll of 1,006 adults.
That was a drop in support from February, when 48 percent said it was worth going to war and half said it was not.
It's also the highest percentage of respondents who have expressed those feelings and triple the percentage of Americans who said that it was not worth the cost shortly after the war began about two years ago.
The new poll question, asked by telephone on April 29-May 1, had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
Asked how things are going for the United States in Iraq, 56 percent said "badly" or "very badly," up from 45 percent in March.
Forty-two percent said "well" or "very well," down from 52 percent in March.
The margin of error for that question was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Americans appeared evenly divided over whether the decision to send U.S. troops to Iraq was a mistake, with 49 percent saying yes and 48 percent saying no. The sampling error was plus or minus 5 points.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Incessant news coverage. I think Fox is losing a lot of their viewers for that reason.
"Fifty-seven percent of those polled said they did not believe it was worth going to war, versus 41 percent who said it was, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll of 1,006 adults."
57% were wrong.
Since when does backing down gain you respect with your enemies.
I'm not sure the war was worth the guys we got killed and mangled over there. I keep wondering how the world (especially the middle east) would be different now if we had just got our guys out of the way and Nuked the Suni Triangle the day after we pulled Saddam out of his hole in the ground..... with a promise to do the same to Iran and Syria if they didn't cooperate.
That's why killing them first if imperative. And I'm just not sure that creating a democracy in Iraq, Saudia, Iran, and wherever else you want to name prevents the problem you've outlined. At least no one has really explained where I "buy it" how a democratic middle east solves the problem.
What makes it "not worth it" is having to listen to the braying of the Leftist annoyances. Take that out of the equation, and the majority would be over-joyed with the positive effects we are having in the most historically war-torn despot-blighted region on earth.
If you democratize the middle east, there is less room for one dictator seething with hate against the US to oppress, blame and otherwise whip into a frenzy those under his boot.
If people believe there is hope for a better future, then a career as a homicide bomber seems a little self defeating.
Furthermore, US relations with democratized govenments would provide strategic advantage in the region in our effort to "kill them first". Intelligence and other support, publically acknowledged or not is enhanced.
-Eddie01
I don't think this is really accurate.... because I don't think that a better or worse future has any impact on why a muslim extremist wants to kill non muslims. I think it's a religion thing that has nothing to do with economic futures, or democracy.
We've just democratized Iraq... and it's not one leader seething with hate... it's a whole tribe of people, who refused to even participate in the democratic election.
I'm not trying to just be argumenative. I just don't buy the premis that creating democracies will win the war on terror.
I just don't buy the premis that creating democracies will win the war on terror.
With regards to a better future curbing a desire to rid the world of non-muslims, you may be right. However I remain committed to the idea that regional democracies provide intelligence and support opportunities that are yielding results.
Didn't we just get some big terrorist guy in Pakastan through this type of cooperation?
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