Most Americans Want Out of Iraq, No Matter What

A majority of Americans — 56 percent — now favor a withdrawal from Iraq, even if it leaves the country in chaos. According to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, two-thirds also opposed a “surge” of troops, and 58 percent approved of Jack Murtha’s plan to stop the escalation.

ABC News:

Bush is paying the continued price of an unpopular war. Sixty-four percent now say the war in Iraq was not worth fighting, up six points from last month to a new numerical high. (It was 63 percent in October.) A majority hasn’t said the war was worth fighting since April 2004, and it’s been even longer since a majority has approved of how Bush is handling it. Sixty-seven percent now disapprove; 55 percent disapprove strongly.

In a fundamental change, 56 percent now say U.S. forces should be withdrawn at some point even if civil order has not been restored in Iraq. That represents a continued, gradual departure from the “you break it, you’ve bought it” sentiment that until now has mitigated in favor of continued U.S. involvement until some stability is attained.

Another part of this change has been a shift in views on setting a withdrawal date. Given pro and con positions (avoiding casualties vs. encouraging insurgents), support for a deadline has risen from 39 percent in late 2005 to 47 percent last summer and 53 percent now. That’s a majority, but not a large one; 46 percent still oppose a deadline, underscoring the difficulty of finding consensus on how to get out of Iraq.

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