(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - American adults are more content with the progress of the coalition effort, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. 48 per cent of respondents think the U.S. military effort in Iraq is going well, up four points since October.

In addition, 48 per cent of respondents think the U.S. will succeed in achieving its goals in Iraq, but 54 per cent think the U.S. should bring its troops home as soon as possible.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein’s regime was launched in March 2003. At least 3,881 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and 28,500 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, 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, and announced the possibility of a further decrease in July 2008.

On Nov. 29, Bush chided the U.S. Congress for refusing to authorize a request to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying, "Pentagon officials have warned Congress that the continued delay in funding our troops will soon begin to have a damaging impact on the operations of this department. (...) I ask Congress to provide this essential funding to our troops before the members leave on their Christmas vacation. And I thank the members of this department for their hard work, their sacrifice, their courage, and their dedication to peace."

Polling Data

Now, thinking about Iraq. How well is the U.S. military effort in Iraq going?

Do you think the U.S. should keep military troops in Iraq until the situation has stabilized, or do you think the U.S. should bring its troops home as soon as possible?

Regardless of what you think about the original decision to use military force in Iraq, do you now believe that the United States will definitely succeed, probably succeed, probably fail, or definitely fail in achieving its goals in Iraq?"

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,399 American adults, conducted from Nov. 20 to Nov. 26, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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