Polls suggest public move to support Bush on Iraq

The Bush administration has strengthened public support for military action against Iraq in recent days, but the public strongly prefers that the United States get the backing of allies and is very worried about the consequences of a war, polls suggest.

Polls by CBS and Newsweek indicate that seven in 10 now support military action against Iraq. That support varies sharply, depending on how the question is asked.

Those differences suggest that public opinion on war with Iraq remains very mixed.

About six in 10 in the Newsweek and CNN-Time polls said they favor using ground troops for military action against Iraq.

Those in the Newsweek poll were evenly split between the United States moving quickly to strike Iraq or taking more time to achieve its goals in Iraq without military force.

Two-thirds in the CBS poll said U.N. inspectors should be given more time.

According to the Newsweek poll, support for an attack is at 85 percent if this country has the support of major allies and the United Nations; it's at 50 percent if this country acts only with the aid of one or two allies; and support falls to 37 percent if the United States acts alone.

Polls taken last week after Powell spoke at the United Nations suggest a growing belief that the administration has presented enough evidence to justify military action against Iraq. More than half in those polls say they feel the evidence is strong enough to justify military action.

Most people are worried about the consequences of a war against Iraq, according to the Newsweek poll.

Seven in 10 believe it will cause serious problems for the United States throughout the Arab world. Three-fourths think it will result in Iraq using biological or chemical weapons against this country. Almost nine in 10 said they expect it would inspire terrorist acts against U.S. citizens.

The CBS poll of 831 adults was taken Wednesday and Thursday. The CNN-Time poll of 1,003 adults was taken Thursday. The Newsweek poll of 1,003 adults was taken Thursday and Friday. The polls had error margins of plus or minus 3 percentage points.