Eighty-seven percent (87%) of U.S. voters are now at least somewhat concerned about the security of nuclear weapons in Pakistan as the radical Islamic Taliban continues to make gains in that country. Sixty percent (60%) are Very Concerned.

Just 10% are not concerned about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

The level of overall concern is unchanged from last August, following Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s resignation from office, but the number of those Very Concerned has jumped 15 points.

The New York Times reported today that “senior American officials say they are increasingly concerned about new vulnerabilities for Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.”

Eighty-six percent (86%) of voters are concerned about the Taliban, based in neighboring Afghanistan, taking over Pakistan, with 48% Very Concerned.

But voters still rank Pakistan as just third on a list of the nations they view as the biggest threats to U.S. national security. Iran is viewed as the biggest threat by 35%, followed by North Korea (23%), Pakistan (14%) and Afghanistan (12%). Sixteen percent (16%) are undecided.

This helps to explain why voters are evenly divided over whether the United States should send troops to Pakistan to help combat the Taliban. Thirty-three percent (33%) say yes, but the identical number (33%) disagree and 34% are not sure.

The level of concern about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons is higher among Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major party than among Democrats. Seventy-one percent (71%) of Republicans and 61% of unaffiliateds are Very Concerned, compared to 50% of Democrats.

Older Americans are much more concerned about the security of those weapons than younger voters. The elders also have a far higher level of concern about a Taliban takeover of Pakistan.

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Republicans and 52% of unaffiliated voters are Very Concerned that the Taliban will take over Pakistan, a view shared by just 34% of Democrats.

However, a majority (51%) of GOP voters still say Iran is the biggest national security threat to the United States, compared to 25% of Democrats and 33% of unaffiliated voters. Democrats rank Pakistan fourth as a threat after North Korea, Iran and Afghanistan. For Republicans and unaffiliated voters, Pakistan is third, with Afghanistan last.

In previous surveys, voters generally have agreed with President Obama that Afghanistan is the central front in the war on terror and have supported his decision to put more U.S. troops there.
Forty-three percent (43%) of men say the president should send U.S. troops to Pakistan, but just 24% of women agree.

Nearly half of Republicans (48%) think U.S. troops are needed in Pakistan. A plurality of Democrats (44%) opposes such a move. Among unaffiliated voters, 31% favor sending troops, 26% oppose it, and 43% are not sure.

Only 42% of voters now believe the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror, the lowest level of confidence since June 30, 2008.

Voters also were a little less sure in April that Obama will bring U.S. combat troops home from Iraq by the end of his first term as he has long promised.

Eighty-one percent (81%) of voters now say they are following news stories about the Taliban in Pakistan at least somewhat closely, with 39% following Very Closely. Nineteen percent (19%) are not following very closely or at all.