Americans express growing concern that things are not going well for the U.S. in Iraq. More now than at any time since the war ended think things are going badly for the U.S. there, and an increasing number see U.S. control of events there slipping away. Americans continue to support the United Nations having a lead role in Iraq.
| That's interesting. It reinforces what I was saying above. But if I take my car to a mechanic, I don't think I need a poll to see whether the mechanic knows what he's doing... |
Although the public expresses more concern about U.S. involvement in Iraq, and American troops continue to experience casualties — the number of American lives lost in Iraq since the war was officially declared over has now surpassed the casualties experienced during combat — the public still supports a U.S. troop presence. Only a third want U.S. troops brought back home.
| We're in it, we've said what we were going to do, now we can't back out. Next time we take a regime apart, though, I think it would be a good idea to just get the hell out and let the locals pick up the pieces... |
As they have for many months, Americans support a multilateral approach to rebuilding and governing Iraq, and that support has grown in this poll. 69% of Americans think the United Nations, and not the United States, should have the lead responsibility for setting up a new government in Iraq, even more than felt that way last April. 25% want the U.S. to be responsible for building an Iraqi government.
| Worst of all possible ideas. The UN gave us Ein el-Hellhole and Congo. And their performance in Rwanda was... ummm... not stellar. |
Democrats are strongly supportive of this multilateral approach; 83% want the United Nations to have the lead role in Iraq. A smaller majority of Republicans (56%) also prefers the U.N. to lead the government rebuilding effort. The desire for U.N. involvement may be fueled by the growing perception that the U.S. is having difficulty in Iraq. Nearly half of Americans now think things are going badly for the U.S. in Iraq. That number has continued its rise since early last month.
| The opinions of people who aren't paying attention on a subject for which specialized knowledge is needed mean nothing. What a waste of time and money. |
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