Government losing support for Afghanistan campaign
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Only half of those surveyed said they were confident that Australian troops are working to a clear aim in Afghanistan. (Department of Defence)
Australian support for a continued military presence in Afghanistan has significantly dwindled in the latest wide-reaching poll conducted by the international policy think tank, the Lowy Institute.
A majority of the Australians surveyed are opposed to Australia's continued military involvement in the country, and only half are confident in the Government's long-term strategy there.
The flagging support for the international campaign against terrorism is mirrored in the results of a second poll released today.
Each year the Lowy Institute conducts what it bills as the most comprehensive polling of Australians about their attitudes to foreign policy.
This year it has found support for Australia's security alliance with the United States is at its highest level since polling began in 2005.
But two-thirds of Australians still think the Government pays too much attention to the US when it formulates foreign policy.
That may be one reason why support for Australia's military involvement in Afghanistan has slid.
"I think that people don't quite understand why we're in Afghanistan," said the Institute's executive director, Alan Gyngell.
"Last year people were evenly split on whether Australia should continue to be involved in Afghanistan. This year, a majority has emerged which is opposed to involvement.
"It seems in some ways that the sort of attitudes to Iraq have transferred themselves sort of seamlessly across to Afghanistan and I suppose that's not particularly surprising in view of the combat deaths we've had there."
Only half of those surveyed said they were confident that Australian troops are working to a clear aim in Afghanistan.
"That's an issue that should be of concern for the Government I think," Mr Gyngell added.
"The Government has made clear that it wants to continue the Australian commitment to Afghanistan - that it thinks it is very important.
"But there is an obvious need, I think, to explain to Australians more why we're there."
The Australian Government is not the only one battling to maintain support for its military operations.
A global poll for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service has found that most people believe the US-led campaign against terrorism has achieved nothing better than a stalemate with Al Qaeda, and that many people believe the terror group has grown stronger.
Doug Miller is the chairman of GlobeScan, the company which conducted the research.
"It's mainly a hearts and mind issue," he said.
"People in some of the countries who are actually ambivalent and not hugely negative on Al Qaeda, which includes Egypt and Pakistan, actually believe that the US is probably winning the war against Al Qaeda.
"But hearts and mind-wise, those two countries populations are quite ambivalent, not really negative on Al Qaeda and people across the world feel that no-one is really winning this war."
The opinions vary greatly, depending on where they were gathered.
In Pakistan, 22 per cent of people believe Al Qaeda is winning the war. But in the US, Germany, Kenya and the Philippines, it is the Americans who are seen as winners.
In Australia, 14 per cent of people believe the US is winning. Eight per cent say Al Qaeda is in front.
"The majority of people in all 23 out of 24 countries believe that it has either made Al Qaeda stronger or has had no effect on Al Qaeda," Mr Miller added.
The findings of both polls come as no surprise to Richard Tanter, a professorial fellow in international relations, and the director of the Nautilus Institute at RMIT in Melbourne.
"I think those poll results reflect the fact that most Australians realise that we don't have a good interest in being there, a good reason for being there and that in terms of moral justification, it is pretty hard to choose between the two sides there," he said.
Mr Tanter says the Federal Government must formulate a clearer plan of what it intends to achieve in Afghanistan.
"I think in reality, coalition forces will leave Afghanistan," he added.
"I think we are making no positive contributions to the possibility of peace there and what is really important is to foster a domestic internal Afghan peace process, and unfortunately we are no longer in the position of being an honest broker."
Adapted from an Ashley Hall report on The World Today.
