(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States question their federal administration’s decision to launch the coalition effort, according to a poll by CBS News and the New York Times. 59 per cent of respondents think the U.S. should have stayed out of Iraq.

In addition, 51 per cent of respondents believe things are going badly for the U.S. in its efforts to bring stability and order to Iraq.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein’s regime was launched in March 2003. At least 4,122 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and 30,400 troops have been wounded in action.

In December 2005, Iraqi voters renewed their National Assembly. In May 2006, Shiite United Iraqi Alliance member Nouri al-Maliki officially took over as prime minister.

In September 2007, commander of the Multi-National Force - Iraq David Petraeus and U.S. ambassador in Iraq Ryan Crocker provided a comprehensive assessment of the situation in Iraq to the U.S. Congress. In addition, U.S. president George W. Bush said U.S. forces in Iraq would be reduced by 5,700 troops in December. After July 2008, all troop withdrawals from Iraq will be suspended.

The U.S. and Iraqi governments are hoping to finalize an agreement this year, which would establish a "security relationship" that would provide a legal basis for the presence of U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

On Jul. 19, Democratic Massachusetts congressman William Delahunt called on the government to establish a "timetable with specific dates" for the end of the war, dismissing the idea of a "general time horizon" as "very vague and nebulous."

Polling Data

Looking back, do you think the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq, or should the U.S. have stayed out?

How would you say things are going for the U.S. in its efforts to bring stability and order to Iraq? Would you say things are going very well, somewhat well, somewhat badly, or very badly?

Source: CBS News / The New York Times
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,796 American adults, conducted from Jul. 7 to Jul. 14, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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