According to a new poll, 72 percent of Americans believe U.S. troops will eventually be fighting the Islamic State group (ISIS) on the ground.
In expanding airstrikes on the terrorist group from Iraq into Syria, President Barack Obama has insisted that the United States will not be involved in another ground war in the Middle East. Obama's plan is to use indigenous troops, including the Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Free Syrian Army rebels.
But the
NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Annenberg poll shows a public not buying the promise. And of those surveyed, only 45 percent believe using U.S. ground troops is a good idea. Thirty-seven percent oppose the idea.
"As your commander-in-chief, I will not commit you and the rest of our Armed Forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq," Obama said in a speech to members of the U.S. military this month. "After a decade of massive ground deployments, it is more effective to use our unique capabilities in support of partners on the ground so they can secure their own countries' futures. And that's the only solution that will succeed over the long term."
The new polls shows only 20 percent believe American ground troops will not be deployed to Iraq again.
The poll was conducted Sept. 19-25 and spoke to 1,283 registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus-minus 3.15 percentage points.
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