Majority in U.S. want troop deadline in Iraq-poll
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - A narrow majority of Americans now favor setting a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq and a record number say they disapprove of the war, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Monday. Fifty-six percent say U.S. forces should be withdrawn eventually even if civil order has not been restored in Iraq, reflecting a continued and gradual departure from the "you break it, you've bought it" sentiment, ABC said. Fifty-three percent support setting a date for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, up from 47 percent last summer and 39 percent in late 2005. A large majority of those who support setting a deadline want the 139,000 U.S. troops in Iraq brought home within a year -- half of that group would like them home in six months. The poll found that 64 percent of Americans now say the war in Iraq was not worth fighting -- up 6 points from last month to a new high. According to the poll, two-thirds of Americans oppose President George W. Bush's plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq. An equal number favor reducing U.S. military and financial support if the Iraqis fail to make progress restoring order. Seventy percent of those polled believe the main blame for failing to control the violence in Iraq rests with its own government, not the United States. ABC said the Democrat-led Congress continues to hold the upper hand on Iraq but slightly less so than last month. Then 60 percent of Americans trusted the Democrats over Bush to handle the war. Democrats lost ground in the new poll, dropping 6 points to 54 percent. Democrats generally favor starting to bring the troops home but differ on how quickly and under what circumstances this should happen. The ABC News/Washington Post telephone poll of 1,082 adults was conducted Feb. 22- 25. The results have a 3-point error margin.
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