October 3, 2011 7:40 AM

Poll: Half of U.S. says Afghan war not a success

By
Alex Sundby
Topics
Afghanistan
U.S. Army Sgt. Vu Nhon keeps watch Sept. 30, 2011, during a mission in the border-crossing town of Turkham Nangarhar, Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan.

U.S. Army Sgt. Vu Nhon keeps watch Sept. 30, 2011, during a mission in the border-crossing town of Turkham Nangarhar, Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan.

(Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto

Half of Americans think the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan hasn't been a success, a CBS News poll released Monday shows.

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the war's beginning, and "CBS Evening News" anchor Scott Pelley will broadcast reports on the war from Kandahar, Afghanistan, Monday and Tuesday nights.

Special Section: Afghanistan, Ten Years Later
Senior militant leader captured in Afghanistan
A soldier shares his post on a lawless border

(Credit: CBS)
While 50 percent of Americans don't consider the war to be a success, 39 percent of Americans do.

When respondents' answers were broken down by political group -- Democrat, independent and Republican -- Republicans were the only political group where more respondents considered the war a success (49 percent) than didn't (41 percent). Fifty-five percent of Democrats don't consider the war a success; 35 percent do. With independents, thirty-six percent called the war a success and 52 percent didn't.

(Credit: CBS)
The poll found that majorities of all three of those political groups thought the war has lasted longer than anticipated. As a whole, 69 percent of Americans said the war has lasted longer than they expected. Twenty-five percent said the war's length has been about as expected.

Most Americans want to see troop levels decrease in Afghanistan. This comes as President Obama's withdrawal plan is expected to pull 10,000 troops from the country by the end of the year and the 33,000 "surge" troops by summer 2012.

Sixty-two percent of Americans want lower troop levels, the poll found, compared with 24 percent that want troop levels kept the same and 7 percent that want them increased. The percentage of Americans calling for increased troop levels in the country has sharply decreased from the 34 percent who wanted that in January 2009, when Mr. Obama was sworn into office.

(Credit: CBS)

This poll was conducted by telephone from Sept. 28, 2011, to Oct. 2, 2011, among 1,012 adults nationwide. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3 percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.


  • Alex Sundby

    Alex Sundby is an associate news editor for CBSNews.com

Add a Comment See all 96 Comments
by erzkarlaspern October 5, 2011 9:14 PM EDT
The situation in Afghanistan is mainly political. I propose they bring back the son of the former king to be a Constitutional and non-political head of state so as to not have a political football for all the rivals to grasp. To understand what that means, even the Taliban called the king "the Father of the Nation". The government could have an elected Prime Minister. I think it would be easier to bring the Taliban, or at least a part of them, back in the political equation. There are many regional rivalries that are also the result of ethnic differences as well as difficulties of transportation within that mountainous land. Our troops are doing well, but it is the political factor of rivalries that are hurting. Bring back the former king's son and grandson as factors of non-political Unity.
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by mach037 October 3, 2011 8:33 PM EDT
It is far too apparent that the Afghans don't want outsiders meddling in their affairs. Now that bin Laden is gone, we should just get out, completely, and not go back in again unless the country as a whole becomes a threat to our national security. Of course that will never happen. If we have to chase another terrorist leader into Afghanistan, okay, but let us harbor no illusions that we can change the nature of the country.
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by PourpaixPourpaix October 3, 2011 7:40 PM EDT
Whaddya mean the war was not a success? We instilled a deep mistrust for America in every civilized nation on our planet. We taught our young men how to behave like animals. We killed more people that our government doesn't like than I can count in a lifetime. We kamakazied our economy, our dollar, and our private way of life. And we showed the whole stupid planet that, once and for all, we will not hesitate to engage in any self-destructive act if we think it will force another country to do what we want, when we want it, and in exactly the way we demand.

That's not successful?
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by GOPeconomicterror October 3, 2011 6:14 PM EDT
10 years, Trillions of $$$$$$$$$$$$, tens of thousands of casualties and no progress.
Heck of a job, Bushie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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by America_is_Great October 3, 2011 6:53 PM EDT
Wait, you get mad about people not liking the president and look at this. You sir are a hypocrite
by rightbehind October 3, 2011 5:49 PM EDT
The private contractors don't want their cash cow killed.
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by mikevetman October 3, 2011 5:32 PM EDT
What do we know, we vote for Obama, harry reed, Corin Brown and all the other liberals who hate the US and want to make us more like Europe!

Why should this poll be used for anything but fodder. Politians don't care what we the people think.
Reply to this comment
by Former_Marine_Sgt October 3, 2011 5:43 PM EDT
I see that you listen to the Rush/Beck/Fox Axis of propoganda.

These folks hate America about the same as you do. In simpler terms: Neither you and the people you named actually hate America.
by magistre October 3, 2011 5:09 PM EDT
Are wee winning? Winning what? What are the goals ? What is our purpose? Killing innocent people including our own troops? That seems to be the only objective. We're told a lot of things but as in the old saying: "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice (+), shame on me.
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by saiditbfore October 3, 2011 4:51 PM EDT
It just depends upon your perspective. I remember seeing a story of a little 11 year old girl, married to some kid, the father-in-law broke her fingers because he thought she stole something of his-this is a backwards place. I know someone personally from Afghanistan, and they were glad for the U.S. presence and the changes that came with them. If you are on the other side, then we were the evil ones, but I think it was for the better; again, it's about perspective.
Reply to this comment
by samXXkiley October 3, 2011 4:40 PM EDT
coucou,
it was expensive, a lot of casualties, especially from the civilian
it is a war that lasted, without concrete results, since terrorism is still prevalent in Afghanistan
apart from fighting terrorism, i wonders what is the other objective of this war in Afghanistan because there is another goal
"au revoir"
Reply to this comment
by bigsk8fan October 3, 2011 4:17 PM EDT
i would consider myself more democratic. yet i would say this afghan war was more of a success than a failure because the al qaeda leadership has seen its share of deaths (including OBL) and the taliban (who protected the al qaeda terrorists responsible for 9/11) have been kicked out of power in afghanistan. the problem is that this war is too closely linked with the unnecessary and unjustifiable war in iraq. bush and cheney should be tried as war criminals for starting that war in iraq.
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