Poll: Americans Split On Troop 'Surge'
55% In CBS Survey Don't Think Increased Troop Levels Will Help Stabilize Baghdad
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Report: Bush Wants More Troops
Sources tell CBS News that President Bush will call for a surge of additional troops in his revised plan for the war in Iraq. The new Congress is already raising red flags. Bill Plante reports.
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Iraqis May Balk At Troop Surge
Many Iraqis are not happy with the American military presence in their country. With President Bush's impending announcement of a troop surge, there might be more backlash. Randall Pinkston reports.
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(CBS/AP)
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Iraq: A Turning Point?
New Congress, change at the Pentagon, study group report; what does the future hold?
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Photo Essay
Saddam's Final Moments
Saddam Hussein went to the gallows Dec. 30, 2006. Contains photos some may find disturbing.
In the latest CBS News poll, 45 percent are in favor of the so-called troop "surge," while 48 percent are opposed.
However, most Americans — 55 percent — don't think a troop increase would actually help stabilize Baghdad; just 35 percent think it would.
SHORT-TERM TROOP INCREASE TO STABILIZE BAGHDAD
Favor
Oppose
A majority — 59 percent — would prefer to see troop levels either reduced (30 percent) or brought to zero with a full withdrawal (29 percent).
Most Americans expect Mr. Bush will announce changes in the U.S. strategy in Iraq, but not the kinds of changes they want.Read the complete CBS News poll results.
Forty-three percent say the U.S. should keep fighting the war but with a new strategy, which is what 55 percent say the president will do. But 52 percent want the U.S. to start ending its involvement in Iraq, which only 6 percent think the president will do.
U.S. TROOP LEVELS IN IRAQ SHOULD BE…
Increased
Kept the same
Decreased
All removed
Just 3 percent think the U.S. should keep fighting with the current strategy; 35 percent think Mr. Bush will stay on the same course.
Americans continue to have dim views of how the war in Iraq is going. Seven in 10 say the war is badly for the U.S., while only 28 percent say it's going well. In some good news for the president, a majority of Republicans (54 percent) now say the war is going well, up 8 points from last month.
HOW IS THE WAR GOING?
Well
Badly
More than half of Americans (52 percent) think Iraq will never become a stable democracy, but there is less pessimism than a month ago. Forty-five percent think Iraq will someday have a stable democracy, 9 percent more than last month, though just 3 percent think that will happen in the next year or two.
Only 17 percent say the U.S. is winning the war, about the same number as say the Iraqi resistance is winning. Six in 10 say neither side is winning.
Just 23 percent approve of President Bush's handling of the war, while 72 percent disapprove.
WAS REMOVING SADDAM WORTH IT?
Yes
No
As for Saddam Hussein, nearly two in three Americans — 64 percent — do not believe removing the now-executed Iraqi dictator from power was worth the loss of American life and the other costs of attacking Iraq. That's the largest number ever to say ousting Saddam wasn't worth it.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Read the complete CBS News poll results.


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See all 82 CommentsThe biased CBS news will never have my respect or credibility.
Paul
The biased CBS news will never have my respect or credibility.
Paul
Our "news" says that we're evenly split, yet I saw another "poll" at ABCNEWS that said 72% DO NOT WANT THIS NONSENSE SURGE.
How odd.
SHORT-TERM TROOP INCREASE TO STABILIZE BAGHDAD
Favor:45%
Oppose:48%
U.S. TROOP LEVELS IN IRAQ SHOULD BE%u2026
Increased:18%
Kept the same:17%
Decreased:30%
All removed:29%
(in other words 18% favor, 78% oppose)
The only way I can make sense of these findings is that perhaps people feel conflicted . . . like for about 30% of us our hearts want to believe that there is still hope things can be made better, but our heads are telling us we need to be realistic about what can be achieved and accept that a surge will ultimately be in vain. Actually reports from the troops seem just as conflicted don't they? Like aren't they saying that yeah additional troops would sure take a load off of them but that they really don't think it'll help with the long-term goal of establishing democracy? I don't know . . . can't wait to hear what Bushie's got to say on Wednesday.
My point being that for the long-term, clearly the focus ought to be on withdrawal. I'm just not sure about how the short-term is supposed to play out if Bush is intent on keeping the level of troops the same and 'staying the course' . . . like if Congress tried to short-change him, wouldn't he just then be more likely to cut corners when it comes to the troops by doing stuff like giving them cheaper gear and fewer days off? Like if that's the case that Bush isn't going to let Congress try and extract a gradual withdrawl then I would be troubled by the thought of troops being any more taxed then they already are. On the other hand, I would hate to see Congress bullied and hard-balled into giving Bush what he wants just because he was willing to put the troops through greater hardship to get his way (IF that's the kind of thinking that's going through his mind). Meh, all speculation at this point . . . gotta wait until Wednesday I guess . . .
We have already had two such "surges" in the last year and things have only gotten worse on the ground. He should have listened to the generals and sent in enough troops to begin with. By not securing Iraq imediately, Bush and co. have unleashed a sectarian civil war that will run it's course no matter what we do.
You'll feel much better when the number of our dead American soldiers reaches 400,000 so you know we've made some real progress. Sorry it's only 3000 so far. We really suck as a nation.
NOW HE KNOWS? After all these years? Watch in his speech Bush will say "But were still on the hunt for Osama"
Who as far as anyone knows is probably already dead, but he needs to keep lying to us so we will not question anything he says! That's how he will justify another 20,000 troops! Which we already have tried before and failed miserably.
NOW HE KNOWS? After all these years? Watch in his speech Bush will say "But were still on the hunt for Osama"
Who as far as anyone knows is probably already dead, but he needs to keep lying to us so we will not question anything he says! That's how he will justify another 20,000 troops! Which we already have tried before and failed miserably.
NOW HE KNOWS? After losing House and Senate gave him a Thumping to his head? After all these years? Watch in his speech Bush will say "But were still on the hunt for Osama"
Who as far as anyone knows is probably already dead, but he needs to keep lying to us so we will not question anything he says! That's how he will justify another 20,000 troops! Which we already have tried before and failed miserably.
I find your comparison between Iraq and WWII casualties to be invalid. WWII was fought in response to Japanese and Nazi agression. We did not start WWII, but rather responded to those who did attack other countries.
Your comparison fails because, in the case of Iraq, WE are the agressors/invaders/occupiers as Japan and Nazi Germany were in WWII. History categorizes these regimes as warmongers, and rightly so.
Obviously you support Bush and his agression, but I'll tell you that it gives me no sense of pride to now have our country joing the ranks of agressor nations in history such as the aforementioned and the former USSR.
What is curious is, with that said, only 3% feel the current strategy is successful. In my observation, a curious incongruity to say the least.
I don't know if you read your own posts, but you come off as a seething lunatic.
I read 5 or 6 news sites every morning - including FoxNews.com. Their slogan "Fair and Balanced" is just a slogan, in my observation. They preach the RNC line to the faithful.
Thank you.
When it comes to people like yurpallid, singingrick, and lieberman, I am reminded of a comment made by one of my professors in college regarding debate tactics. He said "when they're screaming, they're not thinking. Game, set, match".
How true that is.
Try international sources - you'll get a much more "fair and balanced" pictue than from FoxNews, in my opinion.
I will personally hunt you down
yurpallid:
No doubt about it, you are the worst troll ever. This makes bushrocks look utterly reasonable and even likeable.
I would recommend that everyone boycott this troll and not respond to any of his posts. Personal threats are WAY over the line. In this space we are all allowed to disagree, debate, and even call each other names, but this is too much.
No surprise that these obviously violent individuals support invasions, eh?
NICE!
Oh wait I got it...didn't Cheney go hunting? How sweet yurpallid you wish you were with him orrrr you are Cheney!
Thank you, again.
the difference between 3% and 28% values could be simply explained by the questions that people were asked. Although an overwhelming majority people think that a change in "strategy" would be good, a different percent of people think that we are accomplishing some degree of our goals.
For example, if someone feels that avoiding terror acts on US soil is sufficient grounds for the cost we are paying overseas, then they might answer the questions this way.
This is their idea of going well?? This is the reason I have no respect for Republicans. They have the stupidest ideas of what is success in Iraq. I heard this morning the the diplomat to Afganistan say that "great progress" has been made, and the Taliban is back in full force. Where is the progress??
Are they so wed to their party that they cannot see the truth when it comes home in body bag after body bag? Billion after billion. Violence going up and up.
That is progress? There is no way I want anyone who cannot look at unvarnished truth running the govn. Look at where we are now because of it.
Sure, the American public is cold to the draft right now. That is why the quiet drumbeat is being ramped up. A steadily increasing stream of propaganda is appearing--including this article and Charles Rangel's proposal of renewing the draft. Over time, a well orchestrated campaign is going massage public acceptance.
Enjoy your sons and daughters while you have them. Soon you may be visiting their graves. The government has plenty of wars on the drawing board. Syria, Iran, North Korea--there are even people writing books arguing that war with China is inevitable! Laugh at me today, because you will cry with me tomorrow.
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