National Journal reports: Twelve years of war is a long time—not just for the troops fighting, but also for the American public watching the final stages of the U.S. drawdown. And it looks as if this war fatigue is translating in the polls.

Americans are now questioning the very motivation for going to war in the first place.

Now, only 28 percent of Americans think the war in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Friday. Following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Americans, by and large, were united in wanting to track down the people responsible (as high as 90 percent in 2002). But after 2,000 deaths in America’s longest war, 67 percent of Americans don’t think it was worth it.

This poll, conducted July 18-21, represents an 11-point drop since March. During that time, countless headlines about Afghanistan have been marked with the unmistakable tension between the U.S. and Afghan governments.

The sentiments of the American public are also apparent in responses to a question asking whether U.S. fighting in Afghanistan has contributed to the long-term security of the United States; 50 percent of Americans don’t think it has. Only 17 percent think it’s contributed a great deal, while another 26 percent think it has helped somewhat. [Continue reading…]