Americans in overwhelming numbers oppose unilateral U.S. military action, a recent national poll indicated.
Many survey respondents said U.S. President Bush has not effectively explained why military action might be needed. Nearly one in five said they still do not believe that Iraq poses a serious threat to the United States.
A robust majority of Americans -- 83 percent -- would support going to war if the United Nations backed the action. But support for war dwindles rapidly without U.N. approval.
Fewer than half of the respondents said they would support an attack on Iraq if the United States were joined by only one or two key allies. And 59 percent said they would be opposed to an attack if the United States decided to go it alone.
The survey by Princeton Survey Research Associates questioned 1,204 American adults between Jan. 3 and Jan. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Despite these findings, the US administration has ordered another 27,000 troops to the Gulf. The order, the second in 24 hours, takes the total number of troops mobilized since Friday to some 62,000.
The United States could be now be positioned for an attack on Iraq by mid-to-late February with a force exceeding 150,000 soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen. (Albawaba.com)
