29 May 2004	Saturday	09 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

WASHINGTON, May 28: Americans were getting increasingly worried about their country's role in Iraq as the fighting intensified, said a recent survey published on Friday.

The latest Washington Post-NBC News poll revealed that nearly daily attacks on US troops and continuing revelations about abuse of Iraqi prisoners had combined to stir the unrest, leading many to doubt whether the outcome would match the Bush administration's stated goals for going to war.

The poll found that two-thirds of Americans - 67 per cent - described themselves as "worried" about the situation in Iraq. In early March of last year, days after combat began, 64 per cent had said they were worried about the war.

Fifty-seven per cent of Americans said they were "angry", nearly double the figure in March 2003. While most Americans said they were "hopeful" about the eventual outcome, the number of optimists had fallen from 80 per cent 15 months ago to 62 per cent now.

In another change, those who said they were "proud" of the US effort in Iraq were now a minority. The poll showed that the war and its aftermath were continuing to ferment strong emotions among Americans, with many beginning to shift from being backers of the war to doubting the US role in Iraq.

Many Americans did not trust the Bush administration's assurance that the transfer of power to a new Iraqi government on June 30 would stabilize Iraq. The survey quoted a respondent in New York as saying: "Yeah, everything is going to be nice as long as America stays there for 100 years. How long can this go on?"

While people both in the urban and suburban America worried about the war, those in the big cities feared that the war could lead to more terrorist attacks. These fears had prompted many to change their daily routines, the survey observed.