A significant majority of Americans support sending U.S. ground troops to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a new poll has found.
According to a
Quinnipiac University poll conducted Feb. 26-March 2 of 1,286 registered voters, 62 percent of those surveyed believe ground troops should be sent, compared to 30 percent who are opposed.
The strong support for troops holds across all party, gender, and age group demographics, although a higher percentage of men, or 68 percent, back troop deployment compared to 57 percent of women.
The poll also found that an even larger majority of Americans are "very confident" or "somewhat confident" that the U.S. and its allies will defeat ISIS. Specifically, 69 percent of Americans say they will.
Just 39 percent of voters are concerned that American military action will go "too far" in its involvement in the situation, but a majority of voters, or 53 percent, are concerned that the military "will not go far enough in stopping ISIS."
And 64 percent, compared to 23 percent, say Congress should grant the authorization for the use of military force as was requested by the president.
"Send in the troops and eliminate ISIS: The resounding hardline message from Americans say, 'Don't negotiate with terrorists, destroy them,'" said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll, in a statement.
Meanwhile, 72 percent of voters agree with the long-standing policy that the U.S. should never pay ransom to terrorists for American hostages.