poll shows strong canadian support for getting out of afghanistan

Funny how I didn't see this on the front page of today's Globe and Mail. If I didn't get emails from Angus Reid, I might not have seen it at all. [Emphasis mine.]

National Public Opinion Poll
MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN

Almost Half of Canadians Would End Afghanistan Mission Before 2011

Atlantic Canadians, Quebecers and Ontarians more likely to both disagree with the extension of the mission, and advocate for an early withdrawal.

Canadian adults remain concerned about the mission in Afghanistan, with very few respondents advocating for an extension of Canada's military commitment and almost half calling for a withdrawal of troops before the scheduled 2011 deadline, a new Toronto Star / Angus Reid poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample, 48 per cent of respondents want the bulk of the troops currently deployed in Afghanistan to be withdrawn before 2011, 35 per cent would continue under the scheduled plan that calls for the end of the mission in 2011, and only seven per cent believe Canadian soldiers should remain in Afghanistan after 2011.

Since September 2008, more than half of Canadians (52% in the February 2009 survey) have disagreed with the extension of Canada's mission in Afghanistan until 2011. In the latest poll, the highest level of rejection is reported in Atlantic Canada (66%), Quebec (59%), and Ontario (50%).

Almost half of Canadians (48%) believe the Afghan government will be unable to take care of its own security needs without assistance from international troops in 2011 — a proportion that remains unchanged since December.