WASHINGTON (AFP) — Most Americans believe that the report that the top US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, will deliver to Congress on the 'surge' of troops in Iraq will be overly positive, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll out Sunday.
Petraeus and US ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker will testify to Congress on Monday on the success of the "surge" policy, which President George W. Bush announced in January.
Fifty-three percent of those polled said they believed that Petraeus would try to present things better than they are, while 39 percent thought he would honestly portray the situation in Iraq.
A clear majority -- 60 percent -- do not believe that US forces are making significant progress towards restoring order in Iraq, while 58 percent believe the 'surge' of forces have made little difference.
Looking into the future, 64 percent believe that the 'surge' will not improve security in Iraq over the next few months.
The government of Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki received low marks: when asked about the ability of the Iraqi government to meet its commitments to restore civil order, 65 percent said they had little or no confidence, while 34 percent said they had some or much confidence.
The telephone poll was conducted September 4-7 among 1,002 adults and has a three point margin of error.
The 'surge' strategy involved sending 28,500 extra troops into war-battered Iraq, boosting the total number to nearly 160,000. The goal is to provide security so that Iraqi politicians can reach tough compromises that would quell sectarian violence.
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