Sep 9, 2007 2:33 pm US/Central
Poll: More Americans Think Troop Surge Is Helping
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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U.S. soldiers patrol during "Operation Wickersham 3" near Baqouba, Iraq, on Sept. 6, 2007
AP
With President Bush's top military and diplomatic advisers on Iraq due to deliver a major progress report on the president's "surge" strategy, a new CBS News/New York Times poll finds that an increasing number of Americans believe the troop buildup in Iraq is having a positive impact.
U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus are expected to warn Congress on Monday that making any significant changes to the current war strategy will jeopardize the limited security and political progress made so far.
Later in the week, Mr. Bush plans a national address.
The poll finds 35 percent say the surge has made things better, up from 29 percent last month and 19 percent in July. Only 12 percent say it has made things worse, but nearly half see no change in either direction, according to the poll.
On the political front, Americans overwhelmingly criticize the Iraqi government, the poll finds. Just 22 percent say the Iraqi government is meeting a relatively low bar - doing all it can realistically be expected do to bring about stability in Iraq. 70 percent say it is not meeting that standard.
On the military front, Americans' views of the impact of the "surge" strategy are divided by political affiliation. Fifty-six percent of Republicans think surge is making things better in Iraq, while only 19 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of Independents do.
When it comes to evaluating the Iraqi government, there is no partisan divide. Less than one in four Republicans say the Iraqi government is doing what it can.
The poll finds that a majority of Americans view the war in Iraq as a mistake.
Eighty-six percent of Democrats and 68 percent of Independents say the war was a mistake, while 31 percent of Republicans agree, according to the poll.
The 62 percent figure is reminiscent of the numbers recorded in Gallup Polls in the early 1970's when respondents were asked whether the U.S. made a mistake getting involved in Vietnam. Sixty-one percent thought the Vietnam war was a mistake in May, 1971, and 60 percent thought American involvement in Vietnam was a mistake in January, 1973, according to Gallup polls.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS News Interactive: Battle For Iraq
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