While more Americans have been reversing judgment on whether the Iraq War was a mistake, their take on the immediate withdrawal of troops is a different case. According to the New York Times, a new AP-Ipsos poll shows that a majority (57 percent) of Americans oppose the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. They believe the country needs to be stabilized first. Some 36 percent of those polled favored an immediate pullout. Although there has been significant pressure within Congress to set a timetable for withdrawal, the House on Dec. 16 voted 279-109 for a resolution to prevent such action.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
