WASHINGTON (CNN) - As the United States marks the eighth anniversary of the start of the war in Afghanistan, two new national polls suggest that Americans are divided over sending more troops to the war-torn country.
Half of the people questioned in an AP-GfK survey released Tuesday night say they oppose increasing American troop levels in Afghanistan, with 46 percent in favor. The four point margin is within the poll's sampling error.
A Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday morning also suggests a division, with 38 percent of respondents saying U.S. forces should be increased, 28 percent calling for a decrease and just over one in five wanting troop levels in Afghanistan to stay the same. The Quinnipiac poll indicates a partisan divide, with 54 percent of Republicans favoring an increase in troops compared to 24 percent support among Democrats. Four in ten Independents questioned back a boost in forces.
The release of the polls comes as President Obama weighs beefing up U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
The Quinnipiac University survey suggests the 55 percent to 38 percent margin, Americans trust the president to make the right decisions about troop levels, with the vast majority of Democrats, a slight majority of independents, and a minority of Republicans trusting Obama.
The poll also indicates the country's divided over how the president's handling the war, with 42 percent approving of what Obama's doing and 40 percent opposed.
According to the AP-GfK survey, 46 percent of Americans approve of how Obama is handing the war, with 41 percent opposed. The 46 percent approval rating on the war is down 14 points from April.
U.S. forces launched the invasion of Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, in response to the al Qaeda terrorist network's attacks on New York and Washington on September 11.
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden escaped the U.S. onslaught and remains a fugitive. Now the U.S.-led coalition is battling a resurgence of the Taliban, the Islamic militia that allowed al Qaeda to operate from its territory before the attacks and is trying to return to power.
The AP-GfK poll was conducted October 1-5, with 1,003 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted September 29-October 5, with 2,630 registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.
From CNN Politics
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We have to get more people to help those troops. We should be listening to our generals on the front lines, instead of old fools like Biden.
send them home now.. we will never change those neandertals... all they know is killing ... herion trade.. and abusing there women ... let them have at each other....
End this WAR! Bring our troops home now! No more war for profit !
Obama's Vietnamistan.
Pull out or put more troops in, we wouldn't be having the problem of 'Present Man' if somebody would have pulled out fifty some years ago about Obama and his people.
I don't think any President should make a decision on these public polls which can be misleading by the type of questioning made.
Therer are perilous times, people sit with their jaws dropped seeing the word of God is true and full of life right now in the world's events... they are also fearful of what they know may, or could be, the outcome.
The best anyone can do at this point is to seek God's wisdom what to do and trust you heard from the right Spirit.
Still praying for the President.
McCain and Boehner were shown on a CNN clip this morning saying how Pres. Obama couldn't waste any time deciding how to proceed in Afghanistan and needed to put in more troops to "win" the war. Why didn't they follow their own advice and "win" the war eight years ago when they started it? They are so hypocritical. Right now the NATO countries who have troops there are glad to finally have someone in charge who is carefully weighing all of the information and then will make a clear plan for this war. It's not forgotten anymore.
8 more American soldiers killed, 25 wounded! My prayers to these magnificent fighting soldiers. HOWEVER, do we ever learn? Looking at the pictures of this "outpost" it makes me sick! What the heck our our leaders thinking putting any kind of position at the BOTTOM of a natural "KILL ZONE"? These soldiers should have been on the TOP of the mountain ridges, in a well built defensive position and conducting "overwatch" of the village below!! 30 minutes before first "help" got there might seem short, but in combat that is way to long! NO mention of artillery support, is that because there was none, or so far to the rear that they were useless? Have you ever heard of "ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL"? 8 DEAD, 25 WOUNDED, NOT ACCEPTABLE!!
Like pesky roaches, you can keep trying to get rid of them but they just come back, again and again. However, based on the situation as it is today, for the safety of our troops already there, additioanl troops is the best way to go. But again, you can push the Taliban all into Pakistan and they will just came right back after we leave.