|
Bush's Iraqi problems stack up
11/07/2003 07:45 - (SA)
Washington - The near-daily deaths of Americans soldiers, the lack of weapons of mass destruction and the cost of the Iraqi conflict are taking a toll on President George W Bush's administration.
Bush, on a trip to Africa, noted on Thursday there was a "security issue" in Iraq, but pledged that United States forces would be "tough" and stay the course after two more soldiers were killed there.
And, with problems mounting in Iraq after what once seemed a clear-cut victory, and opposition Democrats back home are slamming the lack of evidence on weapons of mass destruction, a poll also showed on Thursday that Americans' disenchantment with their government's war on Iraq was growing.
The growing list of US soldiers killed in Iraq since Bush announced an end to "major combat" in Iraq on May 1 is beginning to weigh on public opinion.
Less than half of American citizens now believe the United States is in control in Iraq, according to a CBS News poll. And, just more than half think removing Saddam Hussein from power was worth the cost.
Only 45% of those asked said they thought the US was in command, compared with 71% in April.
Cost of operations has soared
In early May, shortly after Saddam's ousting, 65% of Americans said they thought the war was worth the cost. Today, the figure is 54%.
About 55% said they thought weapons of mass destruction (WDM) would eventually be found in Iraq - down from 44% last month.
And, defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Wednesday the cost of operations in Iraq had soared to about %3.9bn a month, double April's estimates.
Opposition Democrats, meanwhile, stepped up criticism of the president amid calls for an inquiry into the intelligence used to justify the war.
"It's time for the president to step up and tell the truth, that the war is continuing and so are the casualties," said Senator John Kerry, a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for next year's presidential election.
Two other senior senators denounced US policy in Iraq, calling on the administration to end its quarrel with France and Germany and to ask for Nato forces to back up US troops in Iraq.
"There's a need to internationalise this and to bring in Nato in particular," said Senator Joseph Biden of the senate foreign relations committee, adding that he supported the addition of UN forces in Iraq as well.
Nearly all Democrats voted to allow Bush to order war against Iraq and had refrained from criticising the campaign, fearing a public backlash.
Republicans are now acknowledging the change of mood.
Americans are feeling 'uneasy'
Senator John McCain, a Republican Vietnam War veteran, said the problem was "Americans are unsure about the future of our involvement in Iraq."
He added that there was a growing feeling of "not dissatisfaction, not anger, but unease."
General Tommy Franks, who last week retired as commander of US forces in Iraq, told a congressional panel on Wednesday it probably would not be possible to scale back the estimated 148 000 US troops in Iraq anytime soon.
Apart from Britain, which is deeply involved in Iraq, the countries which have pledged troops are keeping their deployments relatively small (3 000 for Italy, 2 300 for Poland, 1 640 for Ukraine and 1 300 for Spain).
- AFX
|
News
