An anti war protester displays her feelings on a sign in New York City. Americans have conflicting views about the costs and benefits of the US-led war on Iraq nearly two years after its launch, according to a poll released. (AFP/Tom Mihailek)

WASHINGTON -- Americans have conflicting views about the costs and benefits of the US-led war on Iraq nearly two years after its launch, according to a poll released.

Iraq benefits more from the war than the United States, according to those surveyed in the ABC News/Washington Post poll, many of who believed the benefits were not enough to justify the costs.

Seventy percent of those polled said the level of US casualties in Iraq was "unacceptable."

Fifty-three percent believe the war was not worth fighting, compared to 45 percent who believe the war was justified.

Support for the war ran at 70 percent while US troops were engaged in active combat, according to earlier polls.

Americans who believe the war placed the United States in a strong position fell from 52 percent during the war to 28 percent now.

But 44 percent said they believed the Iraq war had improved chances of democracy in the Middle East, compared with nine percent who said it had lessened the odds.

Approval for President George W. Bush personally was down to 50 percent overall compared with his approval high of 77 percent. On Iraq, he currently has a 39 percent on Iraq in particular, down from a high of 75 percent.

While Americans also have little stomach for battles elsewhere in the world -- nearly three-quarters of those polled both opposed a military confrontation with North Korea to force it from using nuclear weapons and also saw the Stalinist state as a threat to the United States.

Two-thirds oppose military action against Iran, which is not yet believed to possess nuclear arms.

The ABC News/Washington Post telephone poll was conducted March 10-13 among 1,001 adults nationwide. The poll has a three-point margin of error.

Copyright © 2005 Agence France Presse

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