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Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Nearly seven in 10 Americans remain unconvinced about the war's outcome nearly two months after President Bush announced his plan to send an additional 21,000 troops to Iraq, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

When announcing his plan Bush said: "We can, and we will prevail." But Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted the poll with Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, said the Iraq load is getting heavier for the administration.

"Iraq is a two-ton boulder in a 100-pound dinghy," Hart said. "There is no way for [Bush] to recover without a recovery in Iraq."

According to the poll, 69 percent say they are less confident the Iraq war will come to a successful conclusion, compared with just 20 percent who are more confident. That finding is virtually unchanged from the previous two NBC/Journal polls taken in January and December.

A similar number believe the war in Afghanistan against al-Qaida and the Taliban is going poorly. Sixty-nine percent say the war there isn't going well, versus 28 percent who think it is.

The poll was taken March 2-5 of 1,007 adults and has a margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points. It also reveals two well-known New Yorkers, Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, remain the front-runners for their parties¡¯presidential nominations.

Clinton leads Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, 47-39 percent, in a head-to-head match-up of the top two leaders in the Democratic field. And Giuliani is ahead of Arizona Sen. John McCain by an even wider margin, 55-34 percent.

Both presidential front-runners face obstacles that are blocking their paths to winning the nomination.

For Clinton, it's her 2002 vote authorizing the Iraq war and her refusal to apologize for it, as well as the fact that she's seen as a polarizing figure.

For Giuliani, it's his past support for abortion rights and civil unions for gay couples.

"The front-runners are not without their own challenges," said GOP pollster Newhouse. "And it's how they deal with these challenges that will determine if they remain as front-runners."

What is clear is Americans are paying attention to the presidential race. In the poll, 73 percent say they're closely following the contest, while just 27 percent say they're not.

(Agencies)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Americans overwhelmingly support congressional action to cap the number of U.S. troops in Iraq and set a timetable to bring them home by the end of next year, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll released Tuesday.

Democrat's bill to require Iraq troop withdrawal

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Legislation due to arrive on the U.S. House floor later this month will propose legislation requing the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the fall of 2008, and even earlier if the Iraqi government does not meet security and other goals, Democratic officials said Wednesday.

U.S. commander requests more troops for Iraq

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The top U.S. commander in Iraq has requested about 2,200 more American troops for Iraq, to help oversee detainees there, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.

U.S. Democrats alter plan to restrict Iraq war

WASHINGTON, Mar. 6 (Xinhua) -- Senior U.S. House Democrats, seeking to placate members of their party from Republican-leaning districts, are pushing a plan that would place restrictions on President George W. Bush's ability to wage the war in Iraq but would allow him to waive them if he publicly justifies his position, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

Pentagon to send 1,000 troops to Iraq ahead of schedule

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon said Friday that it will send some 1,000 troops to Iraq three months ahead of the schedule in order to quell growing violence in Baghdad.