London, July 25: After experiencing the deadliest month in Afghanistan since following the US into invading that country, most Britons want out, recent surveys show.
Britain’s mission in Afghanistan has never had a massive public support and with the death of 19 British soldiers over the past few weeks, it is now becoming even more unpopular.
Two surveys have been conducted by respected international pollsters looking at the level of public support in the UK for the Afghan war.
The Canadian-based Angus Reid Research Center found that 53 percent of Britons oppose their country’s military involvement in Afghanistan, saying that they cannot understand why the UK has invaded and occupied a sovereign country.
Another survey conducted by the US-based Pew Research Center has revealed that, while 48 percent of British respondents favor withdrawing from Afghanistan, 46 percent wanted to keep British troops deployed.
The survey has also found that 51 percent of Britons oppose the government plans to send additional troops to Afghanistan. British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth said on Friday that 125 British service personnel are to be deployed to the war-torn country to replace troops who have died.
Since the 2001 US-led invasion, a total of 186 British servicemen and women have died in Afghanistan.
Britain has a contingent of nearly 9,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly operating in the troubled southern province of Helmand.
—-Agencies