Women in combat favored in U.S. poll

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WASHINGTON, May 26 (UPI) -- Current regulations on the role of women in combat are favored by 67 percent of U.S. residents in a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup poll published Thursday.

The poll was conducted Friday through Sunday as Congress debated restricting where women soldiers can serve.

Of 1,006 adults surveyed, an even higher number -- 72 percent -- said women should be able to serve anywhere in Iraq. However, 54 percent oppose women being assigned to jobs where they would do "most of the fighting," such as in infantry units.

Women are currently barred from infantry, armor and some artillery units, but serve widely in logistics and combat support units, which Congress voted Wednesday to leave largely unchanged.

In Iraq, 35 U.S. military women have been killed and 279 wounded in action.