NEW YORK, April 29: Th American public is increasingly critical of the way President Bush is handling the conflict, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

According to the Times report, the poll suggested that American attitudes about the war are shifting in response to a daily barrage of disturbing images and news reports.

Mr Bush's advisers have asserted that Americans long ago made up their minds that the war was justified, and that violent flare-ups in Iraq would not hurt the president politically as long as the United States remains committed to creating a stable democracy there.

But the poll has bolstered the view of many Democrats that the intensified violence in Iraq would inevitably lead to questions about the wisdom of the war and Mr Bush's leadership.

If the election were held today, 46 per cent of registered voters would vote for Mr Kerry and 44 per cent for Mr Bush, the poll found. With Mr Nader in the race, Mr Bush would get 43 per cent, Mr Kerry 41 per cent and Mr Nader five per cent, suggesting that nearly all of Mr Nader's support comes from voters who would otherwise back the Democrats.