MOSCOW, September 10 (RIA Novosti) - Nearly two-thirds of Americans support a US attack on the Islamic State (IS), according to a new poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NBC.
Over 60 percent of respondents stated that an attack on ISIS was in the United States’ national interest, while only 13 percent opposed US military action against the jihadists.
The poll was conducted from September 3 to 7 and published by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
When asked about what type of military operation the United States should conduct, 40 percent responded that the attacks should be limited to air strikes only, while 34 percent believe that a ground offensive is necessary as well.
This shows that US President Barack Obama will be addressing an audience more supportive of a military intervention than at any previous point of his presidency when he unveils his plan to combat the Islamic State, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Obama is set to announce his strategy for defeating ISIS in a prime-time speech to the nation on Wednesday, the eve of the September 11 attacks.
Nine countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany and Turkey, have so far agreed to join the United States in creating a “core coalition” against IS extremists waging war in Iraq and Syria.
The Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is a Sunni jihadist group that has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group extended its attacks to northern and western Iraq, declaring a caliphate on the territories under its control later that month.
The group is known for its brutal tactics, including public executions, and has caused tens of thousands of non-Muslims in the region to flee their homes. The United Nations has accused ISIS of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
