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American Majority Criticizes Bush’s Handling of Iraq
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the United States remain dissatisfied with George W. Bush's approach to the coalition effort, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 51 per cent of respondents rate the president's handling of the situation in Iraq as poor.
The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 2,095 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 15,500 troops have been injured.
On Nov. 17, Democratic Pennsylvania congressman John Murtha—a Vietnam War veteran—introduced a bill seeking the withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in Iraq "at the earliest practicable date." Yesterday, Murtha defended his call, saying, "The public turned against this war before I said it. The public is emotionally tied into finding a solution to this thing, and that's what I hope this administration is going to find out.''
On Nov. 20, U.S. president George W. Bush called Murtha "a fine man, a good man, who served our country with honour and distinction," adding, "I disagree with his position. An immediate withdrawal of our troops from Iraq will only strengthen the terrorists' hand in Iraq, and in the broader war on terror. That's the goal of the enemy."
Yesterday in a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, U.S. vice-president Dick Cheney defended the Bush administration's decision to go to war, adding, "The flaws in the intelligence are plain enough in hindsight. But any suggestion that pre-war information was distorted, hyped or fabricated by the leader of the nation is utterly false."
Polling Data
How would you rate U.S. president George W. Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq?
Excellent | 16% |
Good | 17% |
Fair | 15% |
Poor | 51% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 American adults, conducted on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent.