Americans are sharply divided over the recent U.S. military airstrikes in Syria, with half approving, 43% disapproving and 7% having no opinion. Public support for the latest airstrikes essentially matches responses to similar actions against Syria a year ago and several other U.S. military interventions, historically…

Americans’ level of approval for the April 2018 strikes on Syria is relatively low compared with support for some previous actions, such as the war in Afghanistan in 2001, which garnered 90% approval. However, compared with similar small-scale military actions, support is typical. The missile strikes on Syria in 2017 drew support from half of Americans, while the 2011 airstrikes on targets in Libya drew a roughly equivalent level of approval, 47%.