On 10th Anniversary of Iraq War, Most Americans Believe Invasion was a Mistake
By: Scott Picken
Updated: March 19, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Ten years ago Tuesday, March 19, 2013, President George W. Bush announced the United States would invade Iraq after the nation's leader, Saddam Hussein refused his ultimatum to step down. Gallup polling finds that ten years after the attack, most Americans believe the decision to begin the war in Iraq was a mistake.
According to a new Gallup poll, 53% of Americans believe their country "made a mistake sending troops to fight in Iraq," while 42% say it was not a mistake.
In fact, polling on the Iraq war has trended negatively since it was revealed that the case for war with Iraq was built on a combination of bad intelligence and faulty assumptions. Saddam Hussein Americans were told was building weapons of mass destruction. We later learned he was not. The Bush Administration also said Hussein was supporting terrorists, specifically Al Qaida. No evidence ever emerged to support that assertion. Those revelations marked a turning point when it came to public opinion about the war in Iraq.
Interestingly, Gallup found the group most against the Iraq war are seniors who have seen several wars over their lifetimes. Young adults are most likely to believe the war in Iraq was not a mistake.
You can see the entire poll here:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/161399/10th-anniversary-iraq-war-mistake.aspx
