Iraq

Gallup's Pulse of Democracy
The War in Iraq

In view of the developments since we first sent our troops to Iraq, do you think the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq, or not?

(Asked of a half sample) Based on what you have heard or read about the surge of U.S. troops in Iraq that began earlier this year, do you think the increase in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq is -- [ROTATED: making the situation there better, not making much difference, or is it making the situation there worse]?

Trends for Comparison: Based on what you have heard or read about the recent surge of U.S. troops in Baghdad, do you think the increase in the number of U.S. troops in Baghdad is -- [ROTATED: making the situation there better, not making much difference, or is it making the situation there worse]?

If you had to choose, which do you think is better for the U.S. -- [ROTATED: to keep a significant number of troops in Iraq until the situation there gets better, even if that takes many years, (or) to set a time-table for removing troops from Iraq and to stick to that timetable regardless of what is going on in Iraq at the time]?

(Asked of those who say it is better for the U.S. to set a time-table for removing troops from Iraq and stick to that timetable regardless of what is going on in Iraq at the time) Do you think the United States should withdraw all of its troops from Iraq as rapidly as possible, starting now, or should the U.S. set a timetable that calls for a more gradual withdrawal of troops from Iraq?

COMBINED RESPONSES: VIEW OF WHAT TO DO ABOUT U.S. TROOP LEVELS IN IRAQ, BASED ON FULL SAMPLE

Just your best guess, for how many more years do you think the United States will have a significant number of troops in Iraq? [OPEN-ENDED AND RECORD NUMBER OF YEARS AS TWO DIGITS]

Do you think the United States does -- or does not -- have an obligation to establish a reasonable level of stability and security in Iraq before withdrawing all of its troops?

Do you think the United States would be more likely to be attacked by terrorists-- [ROTATED: if the U.S. keeps its troops in Iraq (or) if the U.S. withdraws its troops from Iraq]?

Do you think Al-Qaeda would be more likely to use Iraq as a base for its terrorist operations-- [ROTATED: if the U.S. keeps its troops in Iraq (or) if the U.S. withdraws its troops from Iraq]?

Do you think a greater number of Iraqis would die from violence in that country-- [ROTATED: if the U.S. keeps its troops in Iraq (or) if the U.S. withdraws its troops from Iraq]?

Do you think a broader war involving several Middle East nations would be more likely to occur -- [ROTATED: if the U.S. keeps its troops in Iraq (or) if the U.S. withdraws its troops from Iraq]?

Do you think the Bush administration deliberately misled the American public about whether Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, or not?

In your opinion, in the long run, will Iraq be -- [ROTATED: much better off, somewhat better off, somewhat worse off, (or) much worse off] -- than before the U.S. and British invasion?

In the long run, how do you think history will judge the U.S. invasion and subsequent involvement in Iraq -- as [ROTATED: a total success for the United States, mostly successful, mostly a failure, (or as) a total failure for the United States]?

Do you, personally, have any close friends, family members, or co-workers who have served in Iraq in the U.S. military since the war began, or not?

(Asked of those who had a close family friend or family member who has served in Iraq) Are any of those people immediate relatives to you, or not? By immediate relative we mean one of the following -- a spouse, parent, sister or brother, child, grandchild or son-in-law or daughter-in-law.

COMBINED RESPONSES: BASED ON NATIONAL ADULTS

Were any of them wounded or killed while serving in Iraq?

[COMBINED RESPONSES]

Next, I'd like your overall opinion of some foreign countries. First, is your overall opinion of IRAQ very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable?

In general, how would you say things are going for the U.S. in Iraq -- [ROTATED: very well, moderately well, moderately badly, (or) very badly]?

Which comes closer to your view about the war in Iraq -- [ROTATED: you think the U.S. will definitely win the war in Iraq, you think the U.S. will probably win the war in Iraq, you think the U.S. can win the war in Iraq, but you don't think it will win, (or) you do not think the U.S. can win the war in Iraq]?

Next, we'd like to learn your views about what would happen in Iraq depending on whether the U.S. keeps troops there or withdraws its troops from there. First,

How much confidence do you have in the Iraqi government to meet the goals the United States has laid out for Iraq -- a great deal, a fair amount, not much, or none at all?

Which comes closest to your view about the war with Iraq -- [ROTATED: you are certain that the U.S. will win, you think it is likely that the U.S. will win, but you are not certain, you think it is unlikely that the U.S. will win, but you are not certain, (or) you are certain that the U.S. will NOT win]?

All in all, do you think the situation in Iraq is -- [ROTATED: getting better for the United States, staying about the same, or getting worse for the United States]?

Based on what you have heard or read, over the next few months, is the United States planning to -- [ROTATED: increase the number of troops it has in Iraq, keep the number of troops the same, or decrease the number of troops it has in Iraq]?

Who do you trust to recommend the right thing for the U.S. to do in Iraq -- [ROTATED: George W. Bush (or) the Democrats in Congress], both or neither?

How closely are you following the news about congressional testimony on the situation in Iraq by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker -- very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?

As you may know, George W. Bush is adopting General Petraeus' recommendations for future troop levels in Iraq. Based on what you have heard or read about this plan, do you think General Petraeus' plan calls for -- [ROTATED: too few U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq, the right amount, or too many U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq]?

Still thinking about this plan, do you think General Petraeus' plan calls for -- [ROTATED: U.S. troops to be withdrawn too slowly from Iraq, withdrawals to occur at the right pace, or U.S. troops to be withdrawn too quickly from Iraq]?

Do you think the United States is doing too much, the right amount, or not enough to hold the Iraqi government accountable for taking control of the situation in Iraq?

As a result of the surge of U.S. troops in Iraq, are you now more confident that the United States will accomplish its goals in Iraq in the long run, or not?

(Asked of those who say it is better for the U.S. to keep a significant number of troops in Iraq until the situation there gets better) Do you think the United States is now in a position where it can reduce the number of troops it has in Iraq, or should the U.S. keep troop levels the same for the time being?

Please tell me how much confidence you have in the recommendations of each of the following for what to do next in Iraq -- a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or almost none. How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

Do you think the war with Iraq has made the U.S. safer -- or less safe -- from terrorism?

In dealing with the situation in Iraq, do you think the U.S. is -- [ROTATED: putting too much emphasis, the right amount, or not putting enough emphasis] -- on finding a military solution to the problems in Iraq?

In dealing with the situation in Iraq, do you think the U.S. is -- [ROTATED: putting too much emphasis, the right amount, or not putting enough emphasis] -- on finding a political solution to the problems in Iraq?

As you may know, the United States has set out a series of goals or benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet as a condition for the U.S. providing military and economic aid to Iraq. Do you think the Iraqi government is capable -- or not capable -- of achieving these goals?

Do you think the Iraqi government is sincere -- or not sincere -- about achieving these goals?

As you may know, this coming week, General David Petraeus is scheduled to report to Congress on the progress of U.S. military action in Iraq. Just your best guess, do you think General Petraeus' report will be -- [ROTATED: an independent and objective report on the current situation in Iraq, (or) a biased report that reflects what the Bush administration wants the public to believe about Iraq]?

Do you, personally, have a close relative who has served in the U.S. military in any capacity since the September 11th terrorist attacks? [What is their relation to you?] [Do you have any other close relatives who have served in the military during this time?] [OPEN-END]

(Asked of those who have a close relative who has served in the U.S. military in any capacity since the September 11th terrorist attack) Has your [INSERT RELATIVE NAME] served in either Afghanistan or Iraq since the September 11th terrorist attacks, or not?

COMBINED RESPONSES: BASED ON FULL SAMPLE

(Asked of a half sample) Do you favor or oppose removing all U.S. troops from Iraq by April 1st of next year, except for a limited number that would be involved in counter-terrorism efforts?

(Asked of a half sample) Which comes closer to your view about U.S. policy toward the situation in Iraq -- [ROTATED: Congress should act now to develop a new policy on Iraq, (or) Congress should not develop a new policy on Iraq until September when General Petraeus reports on the progress of the U.S. troop surge in Iraq]?

How important will a candidate's past and current positions on the war in Iraq be in determining your vote for president in 2008 -- extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not that important?