A recent poll indicates that most Americans favor the withdrawal of U.S. service members from Iraq and Syria, with many advocating for a general reduction of military involvement in the Middle East. This survey was conducted by Concerned Veterans of America (CVA) in collaboration with YouGov.
The poll, carried out on Thursday, revealed that 62% of American adults support bringing troops home from Iraq. About 27% neither support nor oppose this action, while 11% are somewhat against it.
Support for troop withdrawal from Iraq spans across majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents.
Additionally, 61% of Americans want all military personnel withdrawn from Syria. Similarly, 27% neither oppose nor support this decision, and 12% express some level of opposition to the withdrawal.
As with Iraq, majorities across political affiliations support the troop withdrawal from Syria.
This follows the U.S. military’s recent decision in April to start pulling hundreds of service members out of Syria.
CVA Executive Director John Vick stated that these results reflect a long-standing sentiment among veterans and the public for a foreign policy that emphasizes restraint, accountability, and prioritizing national interests. He highlighted that, after years of conflict in the Middle East, many feel military presence there lacks a clear strategic goal.
Furthermore, 58% of respondents believe the U.S. military should reduce its involvement in the Middle East. In contrast, 32% think the military should maintain its current level of engagement, while only 10% argue for greater involvement.
On a related note, 58% of American adults expressed agreement with President Trump’s assertion that the Iraq war was a significant mistake. About 26% were neutral on the matter, while 16% disagreed, at least in part.
Vick emphasized that both Democrats and Republicans concur that the Iraq war was a mistake, and there is broad support for the return of U.S. troops from both Iraq and Syria. He also pointed out that military personnel should only be deployed to dangerous areas when absolutely necessary for national security, noting that such circumstances are not evident in the current conflicts.
This survey was conducted from September 19 to 23, reaching 1,000 individuals, including veterans, military families, and the general public, with a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
