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Confidence on Iraq Success Falls in U.S.
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Adults in the United States are losing faith in a favourable outcome for the coalition effort, according to a poll by Harris Interactive. Only 25 per cent of respondents are confident that U.S. policies in Iraq will be successful, a five per cent drop since March.
The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 1,630 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 12,500 troops have been injured.
Yesterday, a series of pictures depicting Hussein in his underwear were published by British newspaper The Sun. U.S. president George W. Bush dismissed the idea that the photographs could lead to more violence in Iraq, saying, "I don't think a photo inspires murderers. These people are motivated by a vision of the world that is backward and barbaric."
American authorities in Iraq have ordered an inquiry into the unauthorized release of the pictures, which may have violated Geneva Convention guidelines on the humane treatment of prisoners. 48 per cent of respondents think taking military action against Iraq was the wrong thing to do, a three per cent increase since March.
Polling Data
How confident are you that U.S. policies in Iraq will be successful?
May 2005 | Mar. 2005 | |
Confident | 25% | 30% |
Not confident | 54% | 49% |
Not sure | 20% | 21% |
Thinking about everything that has happened, do you think that taking military action against Iraq was the right or wrong thing to do?
May 2005 | Mar. 2005 | |
Right thing | 39% | 41% |
Wrong thing | 48% | 45% |
Not sure | 13% | 15% |
Source: Harris Interactive
Methodology: Online interviews with 2,322 American adults, conducted from May 4 to May 10, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent.