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As Soldiers Die, Americans Question Bush
(Tom Raum, Associated Press, 05 August 2005)
The deadly recent attacks on American troops in Iraq are increasing the pressure on President Bush to develop an exit strategy. The US death toll from the war is now over 1,800, and a new AP-Ipsos poll shows the lowest approval yet for Bush's handling of Iraq, just 38 percent. . . . The president's fellow Republicans are growing nervous as they head into an election year. . . . Yet the administration must also confront the possibility that a US drawdown of troops - tentatively planned to begin next spring - could further embolden the insurgents and throw Iraq into civil war. . . . "We will stay the course. We will complete the job in Iraq," Bush pledged anew during a news conference on his Texas ranch with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. . . . Bush suggested his resolve was only strengthened by a videotaped warning earlier Thursday from al-Qaida's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, threatening more terror attacks in Britain and tens of thousands of US military deaths if the United States doesn't withdraw. . . . There has been little outward sign of progress in US-led efforts to defeat the insurgency and to beef up the Iraqi army and police so they can take over security responsibilities and allow an orderly withdrawal of American forces. . . . Particularly lethal bombings over the past few weeks, including a roadside bomb that claimed the lives of 14 Marines on Wednesday, have made the situation look even bleaker than US military experts suggest it is. . . . That translates into a continued erosion of public support for Bush's Iraq policy at home. . . . An AP-Ipsos poll taken Monday through Wednesday indicated that just 38 percent of Americans approve of Bush's handling of Iraq. A year ago, the public was evenly divided on Iraq, and Bush's stance on the war and terrorism helped him to election victory. . . . Bush has lost support most dramatically among younger women, especially those who live in the suburbs, and among men with a high school education or less. . . . The war will be a major factor in the 2006 midterm congressional races and could be one in the 2008 presidential race, said Stephen Cimbala, a Pennsylvania State University political scientist who has studied the impact of wars on American politics. . . . "If you look at it from a Republican point of view, by the 2006 congressional elections, you're going to want to have a timetable in place for withdrawal of US forces and their replacement by Iraqis. And by the fall of 2008, you will want to have most US forces out of there," Cimbala said.

posted by LoZo 3:20 PM