Set Iraq timetable, most say: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Set Iraq timetable, most say: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Poll finds majority want fixed exit dates

By Maura Reynolds
Los Angeles Times
Posted December 13 2006

washington · A majority of Americans favor setting a fixed timetable for bringing troops home from Iraq and just 12 percent would support a plan to increase troop strength, an option under serious consideration by the military, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll has found.

A month after midterm elections that switched control of Congress to the Democrats, respondents expressed low confidence in President Bush's ability to resolve the conflict in Iraq.



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By a hefty margin they said Iraq should be the top priority for the new Congress, with a plurality of 45 percent saying they had more trust in Democrats to handle the war.

Only 34 percent said they had more confidence in the president, who has rejected the idea of setting any timetable for withdrawing troops.

Almost two-thirds said they believe Iraq has descended into "civil war," which the Bush administration has denied.

"The public doesn't want the status quo any longer in Iraq and they believe the Democrats, rather than the president, will be best at finding a solution to the war," said polling director Susan Pinkus.

The poll results come at a time when Bush has come under pressure to change course in Iraq, most recently from the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.

Bush is seeking advice from other sources as well and is expected to unveil a new strategy in January.

A majority of 52 percent of the poll's respondents -- including nearly one in three Republicans -- said they preferred a "fixed timetable" for withdrawal, while only 26 percent of those surveyed favored the president's option of keeping troops on the ground until the country is secure.