UPI Poll: Looking to leave Iraq

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Almost half of those asked in a UPI-Zogby International poll said if violence in Iraqi remains steady the United States should begin to withdraw its troops.

The poll was conducted Sept. 7-10, before U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus told Congress the "surge" could end by next June -- an assessment apparently supported by U.S. President George Bush -- and U.S. troop levels in Iraq could be reduced.

Some 45.2 percent of the 7,081 U.S. respondents in the Zogby poll opted for a drawdown of U.S. troop levels if violence in Iraq remained at its current level. Another 22.3 percent said the United States should send additional forces and 16.9 percent said to leave the troop levels the same.

More than three-quarters -- 77.2 percent -- of Democratic respondents said to reduce troop levels while the plurality answer for Republicans -- at 40.3 percent -- was to increase the number of U.S. forces in Iraq. Some 43 percent of independents said to withdraw some troops.

The poll also asked what would represent the worst possible outcome in Iraq. Seeing Iran take over the country was named by 34.6 percent of those asked and another 31.1 percent said al-Qaida taking control of the country would be the worst outcome. Some 18.9 percent said the country collapsing into full-scale civil war would be the worst outcome.

The Zogby interactive poll had a margin of error of 1.2 percentage points.