Americans disapprove of the way Biden handled troops withdrawal in Afghanistan, new poll shows | World News

The majority of Americans who support the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan disapprove of how US President Joe Biden handled it, according to a new poll. Biden has been facing criticism from the international community over the hasty troops’ pullout from Afghanistan which led to a humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country following the Taliban’s lightning push to capture Kabul.

In a Washington Post-ABC News poll, an overwhelming majority supported Biden’s decision to end the two decades of war in Afghanistan but disapproved of the manner in which the situation was handled. While 77% of respondents voiced support for the withdrawal, the chaotic evacuation including the deaths of 13 US service members hit the popular decision hard.

Of the 77% who supported the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, 52% disapproved the handling. About 17% of respondents opposed the withdrawal while 6% had no opinion on the burning issue. Only 8% of the 1,006 adults involved in the survey thought US forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan makes the United States safer from terrorism. While 44% opined that the pullout makes the US less safe, 45% of them said the decision makes no difference.

Watch: Afghan withdrawal haunts Joe Biden; approval rating hits all-time low

After troops’ withdrawal and subsequent crisis in Afghanistan, the approval rating of the US president has hit a new low since he took the office in January. According to a new Marist National Poll with NPR and PBS Newshour, Biden’s approval rating has fallen to 43 per cent. A large section of the populace has also termed the US’ role in Afghanistan a “failure”.

Biden administration has been vehemently defending the withdrawal and said that the sole purpose of the US military was to eliminate al Qaeda and ensure Afghan soil is never used by terror groups to harm the United States.