POLL: Afghan War Support Slips

Nov. 17, 2009— -- Support for the war in Afghanistan has ebbed to a new low in ABC News/Washington Post polls, with concerns over strategy and broad doubts about the reliability of the Afghan government leaving Americans sharply divided on where to go from here.

Just 44 percent now say the war in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, the fewest in a question dating to early 2007. Fifty-two percent instead say the war has not been worth it, up 13 points from its low last December – still well below Iraq levels, but majority negative nonetheless.

Click here for a PDF with charts and questionnaire.

On how to proceed, preferences underscore the difficulties facing President Obama: Assuming he does decide to send more U.S. forces, the public divides, 45-46 percent, on a smaller increase mainly to train the Afghan military, or a larger one to fight al Qaeda and the Taliban as well as to train Afghan forces. (5 percent volunteered that they'd prefer no increase, or withdrawal.)

One source of doubt is the reliability of the Afghan government of Hamid Karzai, declared winner of a second term early this month after a disputed election marred by irregularities. Only 26 percent of Americans see Karzai as a reliable partner for the United States, and just 38 percent think his government will be able to train an effective army to take over security at some point.

Another open and basic question is whether withdrawing from Afghanistan or remaining there poses a greater risk of terrorism to the United States. Nearly a quarter see withdrawing as the greater risk, and they broadly support the war. But nearly two-thirds, 64 percent, say the risk is the same either way – and that big group, by 62-34 percent, says the war has not been worth fighting.

POLITICS – Obama's flat at 45 percent approval for handling the war in Afghanistan, well down from a high of 63 percent last spring; 48 percent disapprove. He's challenged in another way, holding a narrow 5-point edge over the Republicans in Congress in trust to handle the situation in Afghanistan. That compares with 13- and 15-point Obama leads on health care and the economy.