Associated Press  --  Arab News

WASHINGTON, 26 June 2004 — For the first time, a majority of Americans say they think the United States made a mistake sending troops to Iraq, according to a poll released Thursday.

The CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll found that 54 percent of people say the war was a mistake, up from 41 percent who felt that way in early June.

The poll also found that more than half say the Iraq war has made the United States less safe from terrorism. Only a third said it made this country safer.

The finding that more than half now think the Iraq war was a mistake recalls the disillusionment of Americans in 1968 with the Vietnam War. The first time a majority said that was a mistake was in August 1968.

The negative findings on the Iraq war come as the United States prepares to turn over sovereignty of the country to Iraqis. But there are few signs that American troops will be leaving anytime soon, with violence from insurgents on the rise.

The poll of 1,005 adults was taken June 21-23 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.