A slim majority of Americans now feel U.S. intervention in Iraq was a mistake, a Fox News poll concluded.
After 12 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, 51 percent of the 1,006 registered voters surveyed said the war in Iraq was a mistake while 42 percent said war in Afghanistan was a mistake, the Washington Times reported.
Both surveys revealed a six-point drop from last year.
Republican opinions of the war, meanwhile, have held steady — about 30 percent finding the wars to be a mistake.
“While Republicans remain the political group least likely to express regret for the Iraq or Afghanistan wars, a slight change in Democrats’ and independents’ views is why a lower proportion of the country now sees either conflict as a mistake,” wrote Andrew Dugan, a Gallup analyst. “Compared with last year, Democrats are seven points less likely to see Iraq as a mistake and eight points less likely to see Afghanistan as a mistake. Independents saw similar movement on these questions.”
The poll also found that 79 percent of voters approve of American airstrikes against “Islamic extremists.” That includes 88 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of independents and 72 percent of Democrats. In fact, 68 percent of voters favored increasing the airstrikes — 81 percent of Republicans, 64 of percent of independents and 58 of percent of Democrats.
The percentages fell when those surveyed were asked about giving additional support by sending troops.
Half of the voters favored “sending a limited number of U.S. ground troops to Iraq and Syria.” Only 37 percent favored sending “a significant number” of troops to Iraq and Syria including only half of the Republican vote, 33 percent of independents and 27 percent of Democrats.
