CBS NEWS POLL For release: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 7:00 EDT The Iraq War: 10 Years

Later
March 1-3, 2013

This week marks 10 years since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and most Americans now say the U.S. should have avoided that conflict. Many Americans do not think the U.S. was successful in achieving its objectives there. Looking back, 54% of Americans think the U.S. should have stayed out of Iraq, but 38% say taking military action against that country was the right thing to do. Support for military engagement in Iraq was high after the initial invasion in the spring of 2003 (nearly seven in 10 backed it), and it remained high through late that year when Saddam Hussein was captured. But in April 2004, in the wake of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and mounting U.S. casualties, support for U.S. involvement in Iraq dipped below 50% for the first time. By early 2006, most Americans said the U.S. should have stayed out of Iraq; since then, a majority has continued to hold that view. The last U.S. troops left Iraq in December 2011. Did the U.S. Do The Right Thing Going To War With Iraq? Yes No Now 38% 54 8/2010 37% 59 3/2009 40% 55 3/2008 34% 62 3/2007 39% 56 2/2006 41% 54 4/2005 47% 48 4/2004 47% 46 3/2004 58% 37 12/2003 63% 31 3/2003 69% 25 Republicans and Democrats assess Americas nearly nine-year involvement in Iraq differently: most Republicans say invading Iraq was the right thing to do, while Democrats (and independents) disagree. Did the U.S. Do The Right Thing Going To War With Iraq? Total Reps Dems Inds Yes 38% 61% 29% 32% No 54 31 66 58 Many Americans express skepticism about whether the mission in Iraq was successful. Four in ten think the U.S. succeeded in accomplishing its objectives, but more (50%) say it did not.

A majority of Democrats dont think the U.S. successfully accomplished its goals in Iraq, and while most Republicans think invading Iraq was the right thing to do, they are divided on whether the U.S. ultimately succeeded there. Did U.S. Succeed in Accomplishing Objectives in Iraq? Total Reps Dems Inds Yes 41% 46% 36% 43% No 50 45 56 48
_________________________________________________________________________ This poll was conducted by telephone from March 1-3, 2013 among 861 adults nationwide. Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

CBS NEWS POLL The Iraq War: 10 Years Later March 1-3, 2013 q14 Looking back, do you think the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq, or should the U.S. have stayed out? ** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ** *** Party ID *** Total Rep Dem Ind % % % % 38 61 29 32 54 31 66 58 8 8 5 10

Did the right thing Should have stayed out DK/NA q15 BLANK

Aug10b % 37 59 4

q16 Regardless of whether you think taking military action in Iraq was the right thing to do -- would you say the United States succeeded in accomplishing its objectives in Iraq, or did it not succeed? Succeeded Not succeed DK/NA 41 50 9 46 45 9 36 56 8 43 48 9 41* 51 8

wording change: has succeeded or has it not

Total Respondents Total Republicans Total Democrats Total Independents

Unweighted 861 229 262 370

Weighted 218 263 380 (25%) (30%) (45%)