U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says war strategies can't be determined by polls, and the U.S. will continue with its plans for the Afghanistan war despite plummeting American confidence and approval in the war.
Panetta says there is no question the American people are tired of war. But he said the public understands the U.S. is engaged in Afghanistan because of the Sept. 11 attacks and to prevent al-Qaida from again finding safe havens in the U.S. to launch attacks.
A New York Times/CBS News poll found that 69 percent of those questioned oppose the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, and roughly the same say the fighting is going badly. The numbers are up sharply from four months ago, when a bit more than half opposed the war.
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