A USA Today/Gallup poll conducted last week indicates that Americans want Congress to set troop limits and a timetable for operations in Iraq. The poll found that the public is almost evenly split on whether lawmakers should pass a non-binding resolution about disapproval of the planned troop surge. Six out of 10 Americans oppose the surge, and more than 60 percent of those polled want to withdraw all US troops by the end of next year.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
