Public Opposes Troop Surge by 61% to 36% Margin

POLL

On the eve of a major speech by President Bush, in which he is expected to announce an escalation of reportedly 20,000 to 30,000 troops to be sent to Iraq, a new poll finds that a majority of the US are against the so-called “surge.”

According to the USA Today/Gallup poll, the American public opposes Bush’s expected plan by 61 percent to 36 percent, with the president’s support primarily within his GOP base.



“A number of polls have shown that when given a choice between a set of alternative ways of handling the troop situation in Iraq, only about 10% of Americans opt for the alternative of increasing troops,” Frank Newport writes for Gallup News Service. “The rest opt for withdrawal of troops either immediately, within a 12-month timeframe, or by taking as much time as needed.”