Amid increasing attacks against US forces in Iraq, a growing number of Americans, including men and independent voters, say the war in Iraq was not worthwhile, according to a survey released Monday.  

Half of Americans, 49 percent, say the war was not worth it, compared to 48 percent who say it was, according to a survey conducted this month by the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

That's a change from results in October, when 52 percent of Americans polled nationwide said the situation in Iraq was worth going to war over, while 43 percent said it was not.

The latest survey was conducted Nov. 1 through Nov. 9, a period when news of US helicopters being shot down in Iraq gained wide attention.

Shifts in opinion were seen in most demographic groups, but were strongest among men, independents and political moderates and people with incomes of less than US$35,000 per year, the survey found. The poll of 738 adults had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Opinion of how well Bush is dealing with the situation in Iraq has not changed as much over the same period. Asked in November if they approved of how President Bush was handling the situation in Iraq, 46 percent said they approved and 50 percent disapproved.

That was not statistically distinguishable from the October result of 49 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving.

The National Annenberg Election Survey, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, began Oct. 7 and will continue past Election Day 2004. So far, 2,656 interviews have been completed.

(China Daily November 11, 2003)