U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says declining support among Americans for the war in Iraq will rebound once U.S. forces stamp out the surge of armed resistance.
Mr. Powell says the recent increase in the number of U.S. troop casualties in Iraq is bound to be reflected in opinion polls. He says he is convinced that support for the Bush administration policies will revive once standoffs in the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Najaf are settled.
Mr. Powell was responding to a new CBS-television-New York Times poll indicating support among Americans for the war in Iraq has dropped in the last month by 11 points to 47 percent. Almost as many people --46%-- said the United States should have stayed out of Iraq.
One hundred and 20 American troops have been killed this month in combat in Iraq, making it one of the deadliest months for U.S. forces since the war began more than a year ago.
Mr. Powell made his remarks Thursday in Copenhagen, where he met with Danish officials to thank them for keeping their soldiers in Iraq despite security problems in the country.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.