Americans Agree With Iraq Study Group's Recommendations

NEWSWEEK POLL

Two-To-One ---- Sixty-Eight Percent Say the U.S. is Losing Ground in Iraq; Fifty-Three Percent Say Invasion Was a Mistake ---- Bush Approval Remains a Low 32 Percent

According to the latest Newsweek Poll, a plurality of Americans, 39 percent, agree with the recommendations set forth by the Iraq Study Group, headed by James Baker and Lee Hamilton. Only 20 percent of Americans polled disagree, and 26 percent said they are not aware of the Group.

Sixty-eight percent of Americans polled believe that the United States is losing ground in Iraq, the highest rating ever in the Newsweek Poll. Twenty- one percent think that the U.S. is making progress. Fifty-three percent of those polled say that the United States did not do the right thing in taking military action against Iraq; 39 percent say the U.S. did do the right thing. When broken down by political party, 67 percent of Republicans feel that it was right to take military action against Iraq; whereas 73 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of Independents do not believe it was the right thing to do.

In the Newsweek Poll, a significant majority of Americans agree with most of the Iraq Study Group's recommendations presented to them from a list. Sixty-five percent of those polled agree that the U.S. should threaten to reduce economic and military support to the Iraqi government if it fails to meet specific benchmarks; 57 percent agree that the U.S. should reach out to Iran and Syria to help stabilize Iraq; and 61 percent agree that the U.S. should make a renewed and sustained commitment to ending the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.