While President Barack Obama has faced intense Republican criticism for his handling of the situation in Iraq, the results of a Public Policy Polling survey suggest that American voters strongly prefer the president's approach to the conflict.
The poll found that 54 percent of voters agree with Obama's announcement that he will not send U.S. troops into combat in Iraq under any circumstances.
On the other hand, just 28 percent agree with Sen. John McCain's, R-Ariz., argument that the U.S. should have left troops in Iraq rather than withdraw them in 2011. Another 18 percent said they are not sure.
Sixty percent of Democrats favor Obama's approach, along with 53 percent of independents and 49 percent of Republicans. Thirty percent of Republican voters agree with McCain.
The agreement with Obama largely reflects an unwillingness to send combat troops back to Iraq, as just 16 percent of voters support that idea compared to 74 percent that are opposed.
Meanwhile, the poll found that a majority of voters support providing intelligence to the Iraqi government as well as a diplomatic initiative to mobilize the international community to stabilize the situation.
The results of the survey also suggest that a majority of voters believe the latest conflict in Iraq is rooted in centuries of internal conflict rather than the result of the U.S. withdrawing troops.
The release of the poll results comes amid news that Obama is deploying up to 275 U.S. troops to Iraq to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
The troops will provide assistance to the State Department in connection with the temporary relocation of some staff from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to the U.S. Consulates General in Basra and Erbil and to the Iraq Support Unit in Amman.
The move to send the troops to Iraq comes amid reports that Sunni insurgents continue to advance toward Baghdad.
Reflecting the seriousness of the situation, Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that the U.S. would be willing to work with long-time rival Iran to address the escalating violence.
On Friday, President Barack Obama stated that he will not send U.S. troops back into combat in Iraq but said his national security team is preparing a range of other options.
The PPP survey of 790 registered voters was conducted June 14th and 15th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The survey was conducted on behalf of Americans United for Change, a liberal advocacy group.
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