Britons think Iraq war being lost: poll

LONDON, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) - Over two thirds of Britons believe that the Iraq war is being lost, according to a poll released Monday as British troops withdrew from Basra city centre.
Over half -- 52 percent -- think the war is already a lost cause, while a further 17 percent believe British troops are losing at the moment but could eventually win, according to the survey for the BBC programme Newsnight.
Only 12 percent of the 1,001 people asked thought that British forces are winning the war.
The survey by the ORB polling institute came after Britain confirmed that it had withdrawn its last forces from its headquarters at Basra Palace to an airbase outside the southern Iraqi port city.
The poll suggested that 42 percent of Britons think Prime Minister Gordon Brown should withdraw the country's forces as soon as possible, with 33 percent saying their presence is making the situation worse.
Only 20 percent believe that British troops' presence is helping the situation, with 37 percent saying it makes no difference.

09/03/2007 18:11 GMT