July 04, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States want their government to establish a date for the end of the coalition effort, according to a poll by CBS News. 63 per cent of respondents think the U.S. should set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2008.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States want their government to establish a date for the end of the coalition effort, according to a poll by CBS News. 63 per cent of respondents think the U.S. should set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2008.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 3,584 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 26,300 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 May, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 280-142 on the Iraq supplemental spending bill, which approves $100 billion U.S. for the military missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Senate ratified the measure in an 80-14 vote.

Yesterday, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCornack reiterated claims that the Iranian government is helping insurgents in Iraq, saying, "It would be surprising if the Iranian leadership or Iranian senior officials weren't at least, at the very least, witting of the activities of this group in Iraq. If we do have another meeting with them, you can be certain that this will be a topic of discussion. And the message will be clear: that the Iranian government needs to cease and desist these kinds of activities." 77 per cent of respondents say things in Iraq are going very or somewhat badly for U.S. troops, and 66 per cent would either decrease or remove all U.S. soldiers from Iraq.

Polling Data

Do you think the United States should or should not set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2008?

	Jun. 2007	May 2007
Should	63%	63%
Should not	34%	34%
Not sure	3%	3%

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?

	Jun. 2007	Apr. 2007
Very well	1%	2%
Somewhat well	21%	21%
Somewhat badly	30%	29%
Very badly	47%	47%
Not sure	1%	1%

From what you have seen or heard about the situation in Iraq, what should the United States do now—should the U.S. increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, keep the same number of U.S. troops in Iraq as there are now, decrease the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, or remove all its troops from Iraq?

	Jun. 2007	Apr. 2007
Increase	11%	21%
Keep the same	17%	13%
Decrease	26%	27%
Remove all troops	40%	33%
Not sure	6%	6%

Source: CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 836 American adults, conducted from Jun. 26 to Jun. 28, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.