Poll: U.S. public split on Afghan war

WASHINGTON, April 21 (UPI) -- A little more than half U.S. adults support the war in Afghanistan while 39 percent oppose it, a poll released Wednesday indicated.

Support for the war has dropped 3 percentage points since February, Angus Reid Public Opinion said. There is little regional difference in attitudes with 48 percent of those in the Northeast supporting the war compared to 54 percent in the South.

While 43 percent say the U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan was right, 31 percent say it was a mistake. Only 33 percent said they have confidence President Obama will be able to "finish the job," with 53 percent saying they are not confident he will be able to achieve U.S. goals there.

One-quarter, 25 percent, of those surveyed foresee a clear military victory in Afghanistan. Another quarter, 26 percent, expect a negotiated settlement with the Taliban playing a small role in the government.

Almost half, 45 percent, say the government is not providing enough information to the public about Afghanistan.

Angus Reid surveyed 1,002 adults from its Springboard America panel in the online poll April 14-15. The margin of error is 3.1 percent.