International public opinion on the war in Afghanistan in 2010

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 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 want NATO troops out of Afghanistan 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 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%) - 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 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. 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 NATO to remove their troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible.
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.
December
* United Kingdom: 57% oppose their country's military involvement, while 34% support it. 57% believe it was a mistake to have sent military forces. 63% 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. 8% believe forces will have a clear victory over the Taliban. 52% think their government has provided too little information about the war, while 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 Angus Reid poll was conducted December 7-9, 2010.
* United States: Opposition by the American public to the war reached an all-time high in polling by ABC News and the Washington Post. A record 60% say the war has not been worth fighting, while 34% say it has, a new record low. A plurality of 43%, "strongly" feel the war has not been worth fighting, while 16% "strongly" feel it has, a new record low. 81% 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: 54% want the withdrawal to begin in the summer as pledged, while an additional 27% want the withdrawal to begin even before the summer. 12% think the withdrawal should begin later. The ABC News / Washington Post poll was conducted December 9-12, 2010.
* United States: 63% oppose the war, a new all time-high in polling by CNN / Opinion Research, while 35% support it, a new all-time low in support. 56% think things are going badly for the U.S. in the war. In the , three-quarters 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 war. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted December 17-19, 2010.
* United States: Americans continue to be divided over the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, with 45% supporting and 45% opposing it. The plurality 49% say the U.S. government has been providing them too little information about the war, and 54% say they do not know what their country's war is all about. The plurality 38% expect the war to eventually come to a negotiated settlement that gives the Taliban a role in the Afghan government, while 16% expect a clear military victory by foreign military forces. The Angus Reid poll was conducted December 3-5, 2010.
October
* Canada: 55% oppose their country's involvement in the war, while 35% support it. A plurality of 34% have "strong opposition" to involvement in the war, three times higher than the number in "strong support", standing at 11%. The Angus Reid poll was conducted October 13-14, 2010.
* Sweden: The plurality 47% want their country to bring its troops home, while 36% think they should stay there. The Sifo poll for Aftonbladet was conducted October 18, 2010.
* United Kingdom: 60% oppose their country's military involvement, while 32% support it. 60% think it was a mistake for their country to have sent military forces, while one-in-four thought it was not. 62% 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. 8% believe forces will have a clear victory over the Taliban. 49% think their government has provided too little information about the war, while 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.
* United States: Americans are divided over the war in Afghanistan with 47% supporting and 45% opposing, a statistical tie within the poll's ±3% margin of error. Likewise, 37% think the war was a mistake, and 37% thought it was not. 51% say they do not know what the nine-year war is about, 49% say they do. 19% expect a clear military victory for the forces, while 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.
* United States: 58% oppose the war, while 37% favor it, the lowest level of support measured by the poll. 52% think the war 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
* United States: 58% oppose the war, while 39% favor it. The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted September 21-23, 2010.
August
* Canada: Almost 80% want the mission to end next year. One in four think the mission should be extended. 57% want the troops brought home after pulling out in 2011. 30% would support letting some Canadian troops remain in a training capacity only, and 12% want the troops to otherwise stay. The Ipsos Reid poll was conducted July 30 - August 4, 2010.
* Canada: The majority reject their country's military participation. 53% oppose the military operation, while 39% support it. The Angus Reid poll was conducted August 5-6, 2010.
* Norway: Half want their government to pull their troops out. A plurality of 49% want the withdrawal of their troops, while 36% thought the soldiers should stay there. The InFact poll was conducted at the beginning of August 2010.
* United States: A plurality of 48% oppose U.S. involvement, while 43% think their country should be involved. The majority of Republicans think the U.S. should be involved, while the majority of Democrats think their country should not be involved. 52% of Americans think things are going badly for the U.S., while 37% believe things are going well. The CBS News poll was conducted August 20-24, 2010.
* United States: 58% oppose the expanded war, 38% supported it, the lowest level of support since the poll has been conducted. A plurality of 35% "strongly oppose" the war, while 17% "strongly favor" it. The AP-GfK poll was conducted August 11-16, 2010.
* United States: 62% oppose the war, the highest level since the poll question was asked in 2006, while 37% favored the war, an all-time low. The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted August 6-10, 2010.
* United States: Americans are divided over the war. In a statistical tie within the poll's ±3% margin of error, 47% support the war, while 42% oppose it. The Angus Reid poll was conducted August 4-5, 2010.
* United States: 57% want a time-table to be set for removing troops and to stick to that time-table no matter what. 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., while 34% think they are going well. The USA Today/Gallup poll was conducted July 27 - August 1, 2010.
July
* France: 70% oppose their country's military involvement, while 29% support it. The Ifop-Humanité poll was conducted July 8, 2010.
* United States: 58% want their troops withdrawn from the war within the next one or two years. 35% are willing to have U.S. troops stay longer than two years from now. 33% 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. 54% want a timetable to be set for withdrawal, while 41% do not. 26% think U.S. troops should remain for as long as it takes. 62% think the war is going badly for the United States, up from 49% in May, while 31% believe it is going well. The CBS News poll was conducted July 9-12, 2010.
* United States: Support for the war hit a new low. 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. 18% think the withdrawal should start later. 53% think the war has not been worth fighting, with a plurality a 38% "strongly" feeling so. 43% think the war has been worth fighting, down sharply since the end of the previous year, and the lowest since the question was asked in February 2007. A plurality of 44% 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.
June
* Australia: 60% want their troops withdrawn from the war, while one in four think they should stay at their current level. Both the 61% of Labor supporters and 55% of Coalition supporters want their troops to be withdrawn.
* Canada: 59% oppose their country's military involvement, 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 13%. 48% believe it was a mistake to send military forces, while 34% thought it was not. A plurality of 30% 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 forces will be militarily defeated, while 6% continue to expect a clear military victory. 57% also think that their government has not been providing enough information on the war. The Angus Reid poll was conducted June 11-12, 2010.
* United Kingdom: 55% oppose their country's military involvement, while 38% support it. 56% also believe their country erred in sending military forces. 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 military forces, and 10% expect their defeat. The Angus Reid poll was conducted June 4-7, 2010.
* United States: 12% think the United States is winning the war, and 70% think the United States will eventually withdraw without winning. A plurality of 48% favor decreasing the number of U.S. troops; 70% expect that at the end of 2012, the United States will have the same number of troops there as now (43%) or more (27%). 14% think that most Afghans want U.S. troops to stay in their country. A plurality of 38% 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. 52% 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, and a plurality of 34% think President Obama also bears "some" of the responsibility. The poll.
* United States: 65% favor President Barack Obama's timetable calling for withdrawal of U.S. troops beginning in July 2011 (58%) or even earlier (7%). 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.
* United States: 53% think the war has not been worth fighting, and the plurality 41% "strongly" think that it has not been worth fighting. 44% think that the war being carried out has been worth fighting, with 26% that feel that way strongly. 62% of Republicans has been worth its costs to the U.S., 66% of Democrats and 53% of independents think it has not been worth fighting. 54% of Democrats "strongly" think that the war has not been worth fighting. The ABC News / Washington Post poll was conducted June 3-6, 2010.
* United States: 50% support their country's military activities, while 43% oppose them. 50% also acknowledge that they do not have a clear idea of what their country's military activity is all about. 40% think their country did the right thing in sending their military force, 32% feel it was a mistake. The Angus Reid online poll was conducted June 8-9, 2010.
German Marshall Fund Transatlantic Trends survey 2010
The Transatlantic Trends survey by the German Marshall Fund of the United States was conducted over the month of June had the following results:
* France: 75% want their country to begin withdrawing troops starting either immediately (36%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (39%). 23% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. 57% want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 40% plurality), or the number reduced (17%). 37% support keeping the number at current levels, while 4% support an increase.
* Germany: 79% want their country to begin withdrawing troops starting either immediately (35%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (44%). 20% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. 67% want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 50% plurality), or the number reduced (17%). 24% support keeping the number at current levels, and 7% support a troop increase.
* Italy: 79% want their country to begin withdrawing troops starting either immediately (35%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (44%). 20% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. 59% want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 35% plurality), or the number reduced (24%). 34% support keeping the number at current levels, and 4% support a troop increase.
* Netherlands: 79% want their country to begin withdrawing troops starting either immediately (35%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (44%). 20% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. 64% want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 46% plurality), or the number reduced (18%). 31% support keeping the number at current levels, and 4% support a troop increase.
* United Kingdom: 73% want their country to begin withdrawing troops starting either immediately (33%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (40%). 26% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that their military should stay as long as it takes. 65% want either all of their troops withdrawn (the 40% plurality), or the number reduced (25%). 27% support keeping the number at current levels, and 7% support a troop increase.
* United States: 54% want their country to begin withdrawing troops starting either immediately (21%) or in 2011 if conditions permit (33%). 45% think that it is too early to set a timetable and that the American military should stay as long as it takes. The poll also found that 58% want the number of U.S. troops 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%).
Pew Global Attitudes poll 2010
A Pew Global Attitudes poll released June 17, 2010, had the following results:
* Argentina: 74% want military forces removed "as soon as possible". 6% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* Brazil: A plurality of 46% want the military forces removed "as soon as possible", while 37% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* China: 54% think the military forces should be removed "as soon as possible", while 18% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* Egypt: 81% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible", 15% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* France: 52% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible". 47% think the military forces should stay until the situation stabilizes.
* Germany: 58% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible", while 40% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* India: 42% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes, while 35% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible".
* Indonesia: 62% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible", while 19% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* Japan: 53% want the military forces removed "as soon as possible", 35% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* Jordan: 81% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible". 13% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* Kenya: 57% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes, 25% want the military forces removed as soon as possible.
* Lebanon: 69% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible", while 21% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* Mexico: 61% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible", 18% believe military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* Nigeria: 44% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes, 41% want the military forces removed as soon as possible.
* Pakistan: 65% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible", while 7% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* Poland: 44% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible", while 42% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* Russia: 53% think the military forces should be removed "as soon as possible", while 24% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* South Korea: 49% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes, while 38% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible".
* Spain: 49% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible", while 43% think the military forces should stay until the situation stabilizes.
* Turkey: 67% want the military forces to be removed "as soon as possible", while 11% believe the military presence should continue until the situation stabilizes.
* United Kingdom: 49% think the forces should stay until the situation stabilizes, 45% want their troops to be withdrawn "as soon as possible".
* United States: 48% think the forces should stay until the situation stabilizes, 45% want their troops to be withdrawn "as soon as possible".
May
* Australia: 54% 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. 55% said they were not confident that their country's aims were clear, and 26% thought the war 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.
* New Zealand: 77% want a total or partial withdrawal of their country's troops. The plurality 40% call for a total withdrawal of their military forces, 37% call for a partial withdrawal. 10% wanted all troops to stay. The Research New Zealand poll was conducted May 18-25, 2010.
* United States: 56% oppose the war, while 42% support it. The CNN / Opinion Research poll was conducted May 21-23, 2010.
April
* Germany: 62% want their troops to be brought home. The Stern-Forsa poll was conducted April 8-9, 2010.
* United Kingdom: 77% call for the withdrawal of their country's military forces, 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 71% called for the withdrawal of their troops within a year, and when almost half called for an immediate withdrawal. 51% think that the continued presence of British troops increases, rather than diminishes, the risk of terrorism in the United Kingdom. The IoS/ComRes poll was conducted April 16-17, 2010.
* United Kingdom: 59% oppose their country's military involvement, and 32% support the operation. 60% also believe their country erred in sending military forces. 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 military forces, and 9% expect their defeat. The Angus Reid poll was conducted April 9-12, 2010.
* United States: 52% think the war has not been worth fighting, while 44% think it has. 38% "strongly" think that the war has not been fighting, while 26% "strongly" think it has. 69% of Republicans think the war has been worth its costs to the U.S., while 6% of Democrats and 56% of independents think it has not been worth fighting. 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.
* United States: Half of Americans support their country's military activities, while 39% oppose them. The Angus Reid online poll was conducted April 14-15, 2010.
March
* Canada: 79% oppose their troops staying 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. 16%, would support such an extension. 80% think the violence will be same (50%) or worse (30%) at the end of 2011, while 6% think there will be a decrease in the violence. The Angus Reid poll was conducted March 30-31, 2010.
February
* Canada: 49% oppose the military operation, while 47% support it. 53% think their government provides too little information about the war in Afghanistan, while 29% think it has provided the right amount of information. The Angus Reid poll was conducted February 16-17, 2010.
* Netherlands: 66% think Deputy Prime Minister and Labour leader Wouter Bos is correct in opposing another extension and insisting on the withdrawal of Dutch troops by the end of year, as scheduled and as had been promised. A plurality of 49% 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.
* Netherlands: According to a monthly poll by the Dutch ministry of defence, 33% support the Dutch military participation, while 36% oppose it.
* Netherlands: 58% want their troops to be withdrawn, while 35% support keeping them there.
* United Kingdom: 63% want their next government to commit to removing their country's armed forces by the end of this year. 64% also think the war is unwinnable. The Newsnight / ComRes poll was conducted February 19-21, 2010.
* United Kingdom: 52% oppose the war, and 55% believe their country made a mistake in sending military forces. 55% also state they have a clear idea of what the war is about. 47% feel that the British government has not been giving them sufficient information about the war. 29% think the government has provided the correct amount of information. The Angus Reid poll was conducted February 16-17, 2010.
* United States: 54% support the U.S. military operations, while 38% oppose the war. Just under half, 48%, think the U.S. did the right thing in sending its military forces. 33% thought it was a mistake, and 19% were not sure. The Angus Reid poll was conducted February 16-17, 2010.
January
* Czech Republic: 54% oppose sending any more of their country's troops as their government has proposed. The SANEP poll was conducted January 5-21, 2010.
* Denmark: Support for military involvement slipped below 50%. A plurality 49% support the military operation, while 41% want their troops to be withdrawn, and 10% are undecided. The Jyllans-Posten / Ramboell Analyse poll was conducted January 11-14, 2010.
* France: 56% want their country's troops to leave, while 41% disagree. 85% think the situation is deteriorating, while 13% believe it is improving. The BVA/Canal+ poll was conducted January 26-27, 2010.
* France: 80% oppose sending any more of their country's troops, while 20% support doing so. The Ifop-Humanité poll was conducted January 20-22, 2010.
* Germany: 65% oppose sending more of their country's soldiers, while 29% support it. 76% think the military effort will fail, while 18% think it will succeed. The Politbarometer/Mannheim poll for public broadcaster ZDF was conducted January 26-28, 2010.
* Germany: 80% oppose sending any more German troops. The Forsa Institute poll was conducted January 20-21, 2010. 70% demand a withdrawal by 2015: The plurality 32% call for an immediate withdrawal, another 24% call for a withdrawal by the end of 2011, 14% want a deadline of 2015. 25% said they should remain longer.
* Germany: 71% want their country's troops withdrawn "as soon as possible", and 27% support the military involvement. 83% oppose their government sending any more troops. The ARD/Infratest poll was conducted January 4-5, 2010.
* Netherlands: 49% support their country's military role, 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.
* United Kingdom: 59% oppose sending any more of their country's troops, while 41% support doing so. The Ifop-Humanité poll was conducted January 8-12, 2010.
* United States: 54% oppose the war, while 43% support it. A plurality of 32% "strongly oppose" the war, while 18% "strongly favor" it. The remaining 3% did not know. 55% oppose sending any more U.S. troops, while 41% would support doing so. The plurality 34% "strongly oppose" sending any more troops, while 17% "strongly favor" doing so. The AP/GfK poll was conducted January 12-17, 2010.

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