Americans conflicted about war in Iraq

WASHINGTON – Most Americans don’t believe the United States will succeed in winning the war in Iraq or establishing a stable democracy there, according to a USA Today-CNN-Gallup Poll.

But an ambivalent public also says sending troops to Iraq wasn’t a mistake, a sign that most people aren’t yet ready to give up on the war.

“There’s a lot of conflicting impulses here,” says Andrew Kohut, director of the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. A Pew poll last week also showed crosscurrents in attitudes toward the Iraq war. “People are giving bleak assessments on the one hand, and on the other hand (they’re) saying maybe it was still the right thing to do.”

In the poll:

For the first time, a majority of Americans, 51 percent, say the Bush administration deliberately misled the public about whether Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction – the reason Bush emphasized in making the case for invading. The administration’s credibility on the issue has been steadily eroding since 2003 after stores of the weapons weren’t found.

By 58 percent to 37 percent, a majority say the United States won’t be able to establish a stable, democratic government in Iraq.

About one-third, 32 percent, say the United States can’t win the war in Iraq. Another 21 percent say the United States could win the war, but they don’t think it will. Just 43 percent predict a victory.

Still, on the question that tests fundamental attitudes toward the war – was it a mistake to send U.S. troops? - the public’s view has rebounded. By 53 percent to 46 percent, those surveyed say it wasn’t a mistake, the strongest support for the war since just after the Iraqi elections in January.

“I think the American people understand the importance of completing the mission,” White House press secretary Scott McClellan said when asked about the poll results. “Success in Iraq will help transform a dangerous region.”