A majority of Americans think Rumsfeld should be fired (AFP)

WASHINGTON, December 21 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – US President George W. Bush and his Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld continue to lose the support of a majority of Americans over the invasion-turned-occupation of Iraq, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll.

A majority of the 1,004 adults, polled over the phone, believed the war in Iraq was not worth fighting, driving down the ratings of Bush and Rumsfeld, according to poll results released Monday, December 20, Reuters said.

Fifty-six percent of those questioned, a new high, said that the cost of the war outweighs the benefits and is not worth it. It marked a gain of seven percentage points from a poll conducted in July.

Fifty-seven percent said they disapprove of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq, and 53 percent disapprove of the way Rumsfeld is handling his job, according to the survey.

The poll was conducted on December 16-19 and has a three-point margin of error.

Calls for Firing Rumsfeld

More than half of the poll respondents, 52 percent, said Rumsfeld should be replaced.

Rumsfeld, in an op-ed piece published Tuesday, December 21, in The USA Today, Rumsfeld took the time to defend his view of “the armor issue” of US military forces in Iraq, which fuelled calls for his firing, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

“In recent days, much has been made of a question I received from a National Guard soldier at a town hall meeting in Kuwait about armor on Army vehicles,” Rumsfeld wrote.

The soldier complained about the lack of armor plating for their vehicles. Rumsfeld's answer – “you go to war with the army you have not the army you might want” -- was considered callous by some lawmakers who called for his resignation.

“His question was a fair one, and I share his impatience,” the defense secretary said in his commentary.

“Our forces must have the equipment they need, and the department is working hard to ensure that they get it,” he wrote, adding that the production of armored vehicles had been increased “by more than 1,000 percent since mid-2003.”

Bush’s popularity dropped from 60% a year ago to 42%. (AFP)

Rumsfeld, who despite his flagging popularity, has the full support of Bush.

In his news conference on Monday, Bush defended Rumsfeld, saying the Pentagon chief was “a good human being” and “doing a really fine job,” according to Reuters.

Bush’s Popularity Slips

According to the ABC News/Washington Post poll, Bush's approval rating on Iraq dropped to 42 percent, down from 60 percent a year ago.

Less than half of participants said they believe there has been significant progress toward restoring order in Iraq, down from 51 percent last summer.

A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup poll of 1,002 adults found that 60 percent of the respondents said the Iraqi elections scheduled for January 30 should go forward regardless of the security situation.

The poll also found that most Americans -- 58 percent -- still say US forces should remain in Iraq until order is restored.

The poll was conducted on December 17-19 and has a 4.5-point margin of error.

On Tuesday, Bush acknowledged, for the first time ever, the fighters launching anti-US attacks in Iraq were affecting what he called “reconstruction efforts.”

“There are very hopeful signs but, no question about it, the bombers are having an effect,” Bush told reporters. “They're trying to shake the will of the Iraqi people and, frankly, trying to shake the will of the American people.”

Bush, however, vowed “the terrorists will fail, the elections will go forward, and Iraq will be a democracy that reflects the values and traditions of its people.”