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Poll: Nations' yen for foreign wars is weak

WASHINGTON - People in the United States, Britain and six other countries showed little enthusiasm for stepping up the role their nations' troops play in overseas crises, but seemed more open to other types of involvement abroad, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll.

In each country surveyed, only about one in 10 said they believe their government does not send its military frequently enough to trouble spots. Roughly eight in 10 said their leaders send forces abroad either as often as they should or too frequently, according to the poll, which also sampled attitudes in Canada, South Korea, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

When it came to their countries' role in world affairs in general, however, only in the United States and Britain did about half or more say their government was too involved. In the others, at least three of four said their government was either not doing enough or doing what it should.

Every country in the survey has forces in Afghanistan, while the United States and Britain have troops in Iraq as well.

The survey was conducted in mid to late May as the war in Iraq was beginning its fourth year and NATO allies were facing a springtime upsurge in violence in Afghanistan.

"Too much," said David Champ, 57, a plasterer from Redkey, Ind., as he walked the National Mall in the heart of Washington, D.C. "We're not the peacekeepers of the world, but a lot of Americans think we are."

The poll involved telephone interviews with 1,000 people in each country except for 960 in Italy, 968 in France and 1,001 in Germany. The margin of sampling error for each country was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

BY THE NUMBERS

55 percent in the United States said the nation is too involved in world affairs.

48 percent in Britain said their country is too involved in world affairs.

22 percent in Germany said their country is too involved in world affairs.

69 percent in the United States said they believe the nation is viewed by others as a strong force.

84 percent in South Korea said they believed their country is seen as weak.

70 percent of Democrats said the United States sends military forces to trouble spots too often.

32 percent of Republicans said the United States sends military forces to trouble spots too often.

On the Web

AP-Ipsos poll site: www.ap-ipsosresults.com

[Last modified August 30, 2007, 02:06:55]