Poll: Narrow majority support Obama's Afghan strategy
By 51%-40%, those surveyed say they favor the plan Obama outlined. On specific elements, however, there is little consensus:
• Thirty-eight percent call the decision to deploy 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan "about the right number." Nearly as many, 36%, say that is too many additional troops, and 18% say it's too few.
• Just one in five agree with the timetable to begin withdrawing U.S. forces in July 2011. Nearly half, 46%, say it's too soon to set a timetable, and one in four say troops should begin coming home before then.
An overwhelming majority worry that the costs of the war will make it more difficult to deal with problems closer to home. By nearly 3-1, 73%-26%, those surveyed say they are worried about that. A third describe themselves as "very worried."
There is also concern that withdrawing troops might make the nation more vulnerable to terrorist attacks, but the 55%-43% margin wasn't as wide.
The poll finds little appetite for the "war surtax" proposed by House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., and others to pay for the war. By 68%-24%, those surveyed oppose the idea.
There remains a significant base of support for the war. By 2-1 Americans say sending troops to Afghanistan in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was "the right thing" to do. Still, they split almost evenly, 48%-45%, on whether the United States ultimately will achieve its goals there.
The survey has a margin of error of +/—4 percentage points
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