Americans Are Pessimistic about Iraq and the Middle East

The more gung-ho supporters of President Bush would have you believe that his critics aren't in favor of defending our country. The far more uncomfortable truth, as expressed in this New York Times poll, is that a majority of Americans don't think it's in our national interest to be bogged down in the Middle East:

Americans are overwhelmingly pessimistic about the state of affairs in the Middle East, with majorities doubtful there will ever be peace between Israel and its neighbors, or that American troops will be able to leave Iraq anytime soon, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

According to the poll, a majority of Americans want out:

A majority of respondents, 56 percent, said they supported a timetable for a reduction in United States forces in Iraq, a question the two parties have been sparring over, with the White House and most Republicans in Congress taking the position that setting a timetable would send the wrong message. More than half of that group said they supported a withdrawal even if it meant Iraq would fall into the hands of insurgents.

As to whether our Iraq misadventure been worth it:

More than twice as many respondents — 63 percent versus 30 percent — said the Iraq war had not been worth the American lives and dollars lost. Only a quarter of respondents said they thought the American presence in Iraq had been a stabilizing force in the region, with 41 percent saying it had made the Middle East less stable.