For anybody that cares
Iraq war failed, Americans say
Daily Telegraph
Thursday, June 09, 2005
WASHINGTON -- Most Americans now believe the war in Iraq has not made them safer, an opinion poll found Wednesday.
The rise in violence last month, when 700 Iraqis and 80 U.S. troops were killed, appears to have made a mark at home with the Washington Post/ABC News survey finding that two thirds of Americans believe the U.S. is bogged down in Iraq.
Three quarters of those questioned also said the number of casualties was unacceptable; six in 10 believed the war was not worth fighting and four in 10 saw a parallel with Vietnam.
The Bush administration continues to insist that it is winning and that the insurgency is on its last legs, However, the military is increasingly concerned over the signs of public uncertainty.
For the first time since the invasion, the poll found that 52 per cent of Americans did not believe it had made America safer.
Senator Joe Biden, a leading Democratic supporter of the war, said that if there was not significant progress within a year he doubted he could go on backing the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq.
Jimmy Carter, the former president, Wednesday called for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre and for an end to the U.S. policy of transferring prisoners to countries where they might be tortured.
This would "demonstrate clearly our nation's historic commitment to protect human rights," he said.