Attitudes to Afghanistan campaign
As the eighth anniversary of the commencement of Britain's military action in Afghanistan approaches, research by Ipsos shows that more of the public now oppose Britain's campaign in that country than support it.
As the eighth anniversary of the commencement of Britain's military action in Afghanistan approaches, research by Ipsos shows that more of the public now oppose Britain's campaign in that country than support it. Further, more are sceptical than are confident that the aims of the action will be met, and many do not understand the aims of Britain's involvement. However, more of the public believe that troops should stay in Afghanistan at least for the next six months, than believe they should withdraw immediately. Around half (52%) of the public oppose Britain's continuing military campaign in Afghanistan. They outnumber the two in five (41%) who support the continuing campaign.
Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,012 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. Interviews were conducted by telephone 17th-19th July 2009. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population.
Q How well, if at all, do you understand the aims and objectives of Britain's involvement in Afghanistan?
| July 09 | |
|---|---|
| Base: 1,012 British adults | % |
| Very well | 17 |
| Fairly well | 40 |
| Not very well | 27 |
| Not at all well | 15 |
| Don't know | 1 |
| Very/fairly well | 57 |
| Not Very/at all well | 42 |
| Net Well | +15 |
Q How effective, if at all, do you think the current military campaign in Afghanistan will be in achieving its aims?
| October 01 | July 09 | |
|---|---|---|
| Base: 1000+ British adults | % | % |
| Very effective | 18 | 7 |
| Fairly effective | 38 | 31 |
| Not very effective | 22 | 39 |
| Not at all effective | 11 | 18 |
| Don't know | 11 | 7 |
| Very/fairly effective | 56 | 38 |
| Not very/at all effective | 33 | 57 |
| NET effective | +23 | -19 |
Q Do you support or oppose Britain's continuing military campaign in Afghanistan?
| July 09 | |
|---|---|
| Base: 1,012 British adults, 18+ | % |
| Support | 41 |
| Oppose | 52 |
| Don't Know | 7 |
Q For how long do you think Britain should remain involved in the current Afghanistan conflict?
| July 09 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Base: 1000+ British Adults | ||
| Stop immediately | 31 | |
| Up to a week | 1 | |
| One to two weeks | 1 | |
| Over 2-4 weeks | 2 | |
| Over 1 month to 3 months | 6 | |
| Over 3 months to 6 months | 8 | |
| Over 6 months | 15 | |
| Until it ends | 31 | |
| Don't know | 5 | |
