New Poll Reveals Americans Believe US Is Losing the War Against the Islamic State

NEW YORK, March 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than one week before the Trump Administration's 68-nation coalition focused on fighting the Islamic State meets in Washington March 22-23, an insightful new survey reveals a plurality of Americans believe we are losing the war against the Islamic State.

The survey was conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, which has done polling on behalf of a number of U.S. and foreign clients including the Trump campaign, on behalf of Middle East expert and New York Times bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg.

McLaughlin & Associates polled 1,000 likely U.S. voters about their view of the war with the Islamic State on Feb. 20 after the President released his memorandum requesting from the Pentagon a plan to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria at the end of January, and prior to his Feb. 28 speech to Congress during which he said our leaders are taking strong measures to protect our nation "from radical Islamic terrorism." Mr. Trump is the first president in U.S. history to use that phrase, as neither Presidents Bush nor Obama chose to do so. 

Some 41.2 percent believe the U.S. and its allies are losing the war against the Islamic State, and almost 1 in 4 are uncertain whether we are winning or losing. Additionally, nearly 7 in 10 Americans fear catastrophic terrorist attacks by ISIS are coming to the U.S. homeland, possibly involving chemical or biological weapons.

The results reinforce the warning of Rosenberg's new political thriller, Without Warning, released March 14. The book provides a fictional look into what can happen if leaders do not take seriously the threats of our enemies and are blindsided by a series of catastrophic terror attacks by ISIS inside the American homeland.

"The challenge facing the new administration is not simply one of military strategies, tactics and resources. It is also important that the administration and Congress develop a new strategic communications plan for the war," said Rosenberg. "Washington has both the need and the opportunity to explain to the American people the magnitude of the threat we face, the true nature of the enemy, and the urgency of taking decisive action to win the war and protect the homeland and our allies."

When broken down by political ideology, more than half of identifying conservatives (51.8 percent) and a plurality of moderates (38.8 percent) say we are losing the war, while nearly half (45.7 percent) of self-professing liberals believe our nation is winning. Further, fully 63 percent of liberal Americans believe that the threat of climate change is greater than the threat of Iran and ISIS obtaining weapons of mass destruction.

"Policy-makers would be wise to begin their strategic communications planning by taking a fresh look at just how the American people currently see the war with ISIS and identifying critical information gaps where more education would be helpful," Rosenberg said.

For the complete results of the poll, please visit JoelRosenberg.com/articles.

Rosenberg is the author of a dozen political thrillers and five non-fiction books, mostly about the Middle East. His latest, Without Warning – about a wave of ISIS terror attacks inside the American homeland – is available now at retailers nationwide. For additional information, visit JoelRosenberg.com.

SOURCE Joel C. Rosenberg

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