Bush´s new Iraq plan fails to rally public support

Source: Xinhuanet | 01-17-2007 10:08

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush's new Iraq plan failed to rally public support, according to a latest survey released here Tuesday.

In the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, more than 60 percent of the respondents back the idea of a non-binding congressional resolution expressing opposition to Bush's plan to commit an additional 21,500 U.S. troops to Iraq.

Sixty percent have little or no confidence that the Iraqi government will be able to take responsibility for handling security there by November as Bush suggested.

By more than 2-1, those surveyed oppose the president's plan to send an additional one billion U.S. dollars in economic aid for Iraq.

By 51 percent to 36 percent, the respondents have more confidence in congressional Democrats to handle Iraq than in the president.

The survey also shows that Americans feel more pessimistic about the war in the wake of Bush's speech on his new plan last week.

For the first time, a narrow plurality --49 percent to 47 percent -- say the United States is likely to lose the war.

Before the speech, they said by 50 percent to 46 percent that the United States was likely to win.

Compared with that of the previous poll, Bush's overall job-approval rating dipped 3 points, to 34 percent.

The telephone poll of 1,003 adults nationwide was taken between last Friday and last Sunday, after Bush announced his new plan for Iraq on last Wednesday.

Charles Franklin, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin, said the results are not surprising.

"We've had four years to think about the war," Franklin said. "This is not him (Bush) making a speech about a policy that the public hasn't been debating for a long time. .. At this point, it's very hard for a speech to make much difference."

Editor:Du Xiaodan