CBS POLL: Afghanistan as important a foreign policy priority as Iraq, increase troop levels

[jefferson_dem]

Polls Show Increasing Concern About Afghan War

The war in Afghanistan rivals the war in Iraq as a top foreign policy concern, according to a CBS News/New York Times Poll conducted in February 2009. That poll found Americans almost as likely to choose the war in Afghanistan as the war in Iraq for the foreign policy area that the public wants the President and Congress to concentrate on most.



Afghanistan is a priority for more Democrats than Republicans. President Obama has drawn attention to the war there in recent weeks, and the war in Iraq has long been unpopular with Democrats.

In addition, a growing percentage of Americans thinks the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan should be increased, even as most also say it’s important to bring troops home from Iraq. Forty-two percent think troops in Afghanistan should be increased, up from 34 percent in January.



Support for sending more troops there is consistent across party lines. As is often the case with public opinion about war, there is a gender gap; 49 percent of men would like to see troop levels increased, compared to just 36 percent of women.

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