LONDON, 1 April 2003 — Public support in Britain for the war in Iraq has slipped for the first time since the fighting began, as the government ruled out any allied “pause” in the campaign to overthrow Saddam Hussein. With British troops still unable to capture the key southern city of Basra, a YouGov poll for the Daily Telegraph newspaper, released yesterday, indicated that public backing for the war had slipped five points to 54 percent.
Thirty-eight percent were opposed to the war, up three points on the previous YouGov poll carried out at the end of last week when 59 percent rallied behind the conflict that began 11 days ago. Observers said the slump in public support for the war reflected a growing realization that the US-led war — with British forces stuck outside the main southern city of Basra — will not be over as soon as many had hoped. But Prime Minister Tony Blair’s official spokesman said yesterday that he was unfazed by reports that the war had become bogged down. “The prime minister has not been carried away by the successes nor has he been overwhelmed by the difficulties and problems,” he said. “He remains relentlessly focused on the big picture.”
Earlier in the day, Britain’s Junior Defense Minister Adam Ingham — echoing the Pentagon’s position — ruled out any “pause” in the allied push to oust Saddam and rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. “There has to come a time when you need to rest your troops, you need to resupply your troops, and remember just how much advance has been made in this campaign,” Ingham said on Sky News television.
“But it’s not a pause. People are using the word ‘pause.’ If you look at what has been happening overnight and elsewhere in Iraq involving US troops, this is certainly not a pause. The conflict continues.”
Most Britons opposed the war before the fighting started but recent polls showed public opinion swinging behind Blair, who gambled his political future on a conflict that has split his party and country. The poll, conducted on Sunday, found 54 percent of Britons believed it was right to take military action against Iraq — down from 59 percent on March 27.
Those surveyed said the most inaccurate statements made about the war before it started were that the southern city of Basra would fall swiftly, that the invasion would spark popular uprisings and that Iraqi resistance would crumble fast. With the war entering day 12, Basra is still in Iraqi hands, resistance has been unexpectedly fierce and there is little sign of a popular uprising against Saddam Hussein.
