Public Opinion on Progress of Afghan War Turns More Positive

Earlier this month, a Quinnipiac University poll had shown a sharp turn to the negative on public support for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, but a new USA Today/Gallup poll says that while a majority of Americans don't think the war is going well, their numbers have dropped since earlier in the year.

The USA Today/Gallup survey, conducted Nov. 19-21, found 52 percent saying that they thought the war was going moderately or very badly, with 45 percent believing it is progressing moderately or very well. But that compares to its poll in late 2009 in which Americans said by 66 percent to 32 percent the war was going badly, and another survey earlier this year that put the margin at 62 percent to 34 percent.

The 45 percent who believe things are going moderately or very well is the highest number since July 2009.

The Quinnipiac poll, conducted Nov. 8-15, posed the question a different way, asking whether those surveyed believed that fighting the war was the right thing to do. Fifty percent said it was not, compared to 44 percent who supported the effort. In all the previous Quinnipiac polls this year, at least a plurality thought U.S. involvement was the right thing.

Under the Obama administration's Afghan policy, the U.S. is to start withdrawing troops in July 2011 -- depending on conditions on the ground. More recently, administration officials have talked about ending the U.S. combat mission by 2014.

The public is divided on the 2014 timetable. Forty percent say a timetable should not be set, 38 percent want troops withdrawn sooner and 20 percent agreement with the 2014 date.

Half of Democrats come down on the side of withdrawing troops sooner, while 61 percent of Republicans don't want any timetable. The numbers for independents are about the same as those for the overall public.

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