Poll: Large Majority Opposed to U.S. Involvement in Syria

Americans appear to be overwhelmingly opposed to U.S. military involvement in Syria, despite suggestions by the president this week that the military option could be on the table if it's proven the Syrian government has used chemical weapons.

According to a new HuffPost/YouGov Poll of 1,000 adults released Thursday, 68 percent of respondents were opposed to sending ground troops into Syria, even though 40 percent of those surveyed believe the Syrian government is guilty of using chemical weapons.

In addition, 51 percent said they are against providing weapons to Syrian rebels, while just 12 percent support giving lethal aid to the fighters. Forty-nine percent of respondents also said they oppose conducting air strikes, compared to 16 percent who favor hitting Syria from the air. The views are held fairly evenly across party lines.

The poll conducted April 29-30 showed, however, that most Americans are not knowledgeable about the conflict. Specifically, 48 percent of respondents said they have heard a little about it, and another 18 percent said they had heard nothing at all.

The results affirm a recent CBS/New York Times poll showing that most Americans are not in favor of getting involved in the Syrian conflict. A Pew Research Center survey released Monday also showed few Americans are paying attention to the Syrian civil war.