A YouGov poll for Channel 4 News suggests that opposition to the war in Afghanistan has risen sharply in the past fortnight.
The numbers thinking the Taliban can be defeated are down from 42 per cent to 33 per cent in the space of two weeks.
The poll suggests that the numbers thinking the Taliban cannot be defeated are up from 48 per cent to 57 per cent in the space of two weeks.
Number Ten says the Prime Minister’s acutely aware of the “public debate” and has changed his diary to give a speech tomorrow morning making the case for keeping troops in Afghanistan. The speech isn’t yet written but is not expected to signal a change in policy.
The deaths of British servicemen at the hands of an Afghan policeman were already known about when the polling was conducted yesterday.
That’s leading to a rethink on the ground about how security can be tightened.
Strategically, the Karzai problem is triggering a rethink of its own.
The central government President Karzai runs lacks credibility and reach but there’s no plan B yet developed to side-step him.
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Commentsoldest first
Gordon doesn’t get it, does he?
As usual he lags behind public opinion.
He obviously hasn’t learned the lesson taught by Joanna Lumley and the Ghurkas…
Wheel out the famous clips from that day in the garden of No10 please Gary…
For “Afghanistan” read “Vietnam” – at least this time there’s no conscription ……yet !
Speaches are becoming very expected and very predictable. Tomorrows will be no different. The ‘official’ line is always the arrogant bravardo one and seeks to hoodwink a gullible public.
This so called ‘war on terror’ is a quagmire and, has been conducted with overly reliance on technology and the stiff upper lip that the British are good at this. Well, as more families see their loved ones return in body bags, clear answers are needed as to WHY the UK forces are in Afghanistan, WHAT is the mission and, WHAT is the long term goal and exit strategy?
This seems to have started with the ‘hunt’ for Osama Bin Laden in the Tora Bora and, the ‘ousting’ of the Taliban post 911. But, where is it going?
Relatives & serving personel have the right to know the reasons why they sacrifice and pay a hell of a price, and for what?
Gordon doesn’t get it ,Parliament doesn’t get it.The public were never consulted and have probably never supported the war .However i believe the majority do support our servicemen
I don’t support “our” servicemen. They are fools for putting their lives on the line for Tony Blair and George Bush to become very rich. Blair’s £14 million fortune, amassed so quickly, was laundered blood money. As the song goes: “…just poor boys fighting a rich man’s war”. They don’t get it, you don’t get it, how come I do?
Ah yes,a public poll – I imagine they considered this with the same attention they considered between contestants on Strictly or X Factor.If the public hears more soldiers have died (amazing how that still happens in Warfare centuries on !) they correspondingly lower the chances of victory before moving on to analyize if binge drinking is good for society,if Katie Price is heavily influenced by Jean Paul Satre or if Alex Ferguson should be the next secretary of the United Nations.Don’t pander to the Public – The one time their opinion could actually count (Elections) half of them don’t even bother !
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