WASHINGTON, 24 August 2003 — A growing number of Americans don’t want to see US President George W. Bush re-elected, and fear US troops will being drawn into a long, costly occupation of Iraq, according to a Newsweek poll released yesterday.
For the first time a Newsweek poll has found that more registered voters, 49 percent. would not want Bush to return for a second term in office if the elections were now, than those, 44 percent, who would.
Only 23 percent said terrorism and homeland security would be the most important issues for them in the October 2004 election, compared with 48 percent who said deciding factors for them would be the economy and jobs.
Meanwhile, 69 percent are now convinced the United States will become bogged down in Iraq, without achieving ostensible goals in getting the country back on its feet.
Some 40 percent of them are now “very concerned” US troops will be there for the long-haul. A majority also fears that US forces will be overextended in the event of a security threat elsewhere, according to the poll in the latest edition of Newsweek — 29 percent very concerned and 30 percent somewhat concerned.
Americans also think that reconstruction costs in Iraq are too high at one billion dollars per week — 66 percent said they do not support such spending, compared with 34 percent who said they support current spending levels.
And 53 percent said they would oppose an increase to the figure being spent, with only seven percent not opposed to an increase. The survey was taken between Aug. 21-22 on some 1,011 adults aged 18 and above. The poll has a plus or minus three percent error margin.
