Poll: Public doesn’t want another Iraq War

A new poll shows strong opposition to sending any troops into Iraq.

The survey released Tuesday by the left-leaning Public Policy Polling found 74 percent of the public is opposed to sending combat troops back into Iraq, with only 16 percent supporting that option. 

{mosads}Majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents all said they are strongly opposed to sending in combat troops. Just over a quarter of Republicans support deploying them. 

More than half of those surveyed said they agreed with President Obama that U.S. troops shouldn’t return to Iraq. Just over a quarter, by contrast, agreed with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that troops should have remained in Iraq past 2011. 

The PPP questions asked people whether the agreed with Obama or McCain.

Obama has come under fire from some Republicans for not striking a deal with Iraq’s government that would have allowed some U.S. troops to stay in the country after 2011 to help with security. They’ve blamed the current violence in Iraq on that failure to reach an agreement. 

However, the poll found that more than two-thirds say the renewed violence in Iraq is a result of a centuries-old conflict that was worsened by the 2003 invasion launched by President George W. Bush. Twenty percent, meanwhile, say the current situation is a result of the U.S. pullout of Iraq in 2011.

A majority of the public supports the option of the U.S. providing intelligence to the Iraqi government and a diplomatic initiative to neutralize the escalating situation. 

The poll didn’t address voters’ opinions of possible U.S. airstrikes in Iraq, an option the White House is still considering. On Monday, Obama announced that he is sending 275 U.S. troops to Baghdad to protect the U.S. Embassy and personnel there. 

The poll surveyed 790 registered voters on June 14 and 15, and has a 3.5 percentage point margin of error.