U.S. majority favors deadline to exit Iraq (Dan Balz and Jon Cohen)

  Poll also finds support for new rules for military.

  By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen -- Washington Post

  Feb. 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON -- With Congress preparing for renewed debate over President Bush's war policies, a majority of Americans in a new poll now support setting a deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces from the war-torn nation. The Washington Post-ABC News Poll also found support for putting new conditions on the military that could limit the number of personnel available for duty in Iraq.

  Opposition to Bush's plan to send an additional 21,500 soldiers to Iraq remained strong, with two in three Americans registering their disapproval -- 56 percent said they strongly object. The House recently passed a non-binding resolution opposing the new deployments, but Republicans have successfully blocked consideration of such a measure in the Senate.

  Senate Democrats, led by Armed Services Committee chair Carl Levin of Michigan and Foreign Relations Committee chair Joseph Biden of Delaware, now are preparing another resolution that would have the effect of taking away the authority Bush was granted in 2002 to go to war. The measure would seek to have most combat forces withdrawn from Iraq by the end of March 2008.

  The Post-ABC News poll found that 53 percent of Americans favored setting a deadline for troop withdrawals. Among those who favored a deadline, 24 percent said they would like to see U.S. forces out within six months and 21 percent called for the withdrawals to be completed within a year. The rest of those who support a timetable said they did not favor withdrawing all troops until at least a year from now.

  This is the first time a Post-ABC News poll has found a majority of Americans supported establishing such a timetable for withdrawal, which has long been resisted by the president and even some Democrats.

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