These figures are from a YouGov poll for the Sun this week. The findings – which reinforce the view that Afghanistan is the new Vietnam – didn’t appear in that newspaper as far as I can work out.
According to the survey of the British public, only 7 per cent believe that British troops are winning the war with the Taleban in Afghanistan. Another 24 per cent think they are not winning but it is possible.
The largest portion, 53 per cent, think they are not winning and “victory is not possible”. The last 15 per cent don’t know.
Asif Ali Zardari, president of Pakistan, seems to agree – judging by his comments earlier in the week.
Mr Zardari told Le Monde that Nato was “in the process of losing the war against the Taliban”.
“That is, above all, because we have lost the battle for hearts and minds … The whole approach seems wrong to me,” he said. “The population does not associate the presence of the coalition with a better future.”
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey