Australians against increase in troops in Afghanistan

Despite PM Kevin Rudd's support for larger role for military trainers in Afghanistan war, over 51 per cent of respondents have opposed to Australia's current involvement and two-thirds of the voters have opposed any increase in the number of Australian troops in Afghanistan.

More than 51 per cent Australians are against the increase in number of troops in Afghanistan, a recent poll has said.

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Despite Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's support for larger role for military trainers in Afghanistan war, over 51 per cent of respondents have opposed to Australia's current involvement and two-thirds of the voters have opposed any increase in the number of Australian troops in Afghanistan, according to the latest Age-Nielsen poll.

The findings follow Rudd's enthusiastic response in the US to President Barack Obama's revamped strategy to try to win the war.

The strategy — an integrated approach of increased military effort, training of Afghan security forces and civil aid—was described by Rudd as "absolutely right".

In February 2006, an Age-Nielsen poll found that 48 per cent of Australians opposed the war, while 45 per cent supported it.

Support has now slipped to 44 per cent, and opposition is the majority position.

In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, a Nielsen poll in October 2001 revealed 70 per cent support for the war on terrorism, though Afghanistan was not specifically named in the question, 'The Age' newspaper reported.