Nation Is Divided on Drawdown Of Troops

Over the weekend, the New York Times reported that Gen. George W. Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, had briefed officials about a plan for reducing troop levels beginning later this year. The report prompted howls of complaint from Democrats, who said Republicans had attacked them for suggesting something the administration was discussing privately.

Bush played down talk of troop withdrawals yesterday. "In terms of our troop presence there, that decision will be made by General Casey, as well as the sovereign government of Iraq, based upon conditions on the ground," he said. "And one of the things that General Casey assured me of is that, whatever recommendation he makes, it will be aimed toward achieving victory."

Military insiders say that rather than pushing for troop cuts, Casey is resisting them. Some other top commanders have thought for some time that it should be possible to reduce troop levels in Iraq, but Casey is said to worry that doing so too quickly could undermine the fledgling Iraqi government and overburden it too soon.

"To push Iraqi forces to the fore before they are ready is not 'leaving to win,' it is rushing to failure," said Kalev Sepp, an expert on insurgency who has advised Casey.

The new poll showed less pessimism about some aspects of the war. Three months ago, 43 percent of Americans said the United States was making significant progress toward restoring civil order in Iraq, with 56 percent disagreeing. After the killing of insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the formation of a new government, Americans are now evenly divided, with 48 percent saying they see significant progress and 49 percent saying they do not.

The public gives both Bush and the Democrats low marks on having a plan for success in Iraq. Almost two in three (64 percent) said Bush does not have a clear plan, while almost three in four (71 percent) said the same about Democrats in Congress.

After reaching a historic low of 33 percent last month, Bush's job approval rating increased five percentage points, buoyed by more favorable views of the way he was handling the situation in Iraq. Currently, 37 percent of the country approves of the job the president is doing in Iraq, up five points from its historic low in May.

But other key measures remained unchanged or down slightly from last month. The percentage of Americans who support Bush's handling of the campaign against terrorism dipped two points, to 51 percent. And 38 percent support the way he is dealing with the economy, unchanged from May.

Bush also received relatively low marks on his management of the standoff with Iran over its nuclear energy program. Nearly six in 10 (57 percent) said they disapproved of his handling of the situation, while 41 percent approved.

Assistant polling director Claudia Deane and staff writers Peter Baker and Thomas E. Ricks contributed to this report.