Poll: More Americans Foresee Casualties

March 28 -- Expectations of high U.S. casualties have skyrocketed, and there's been a jump in the number of Americans who say Iraqi resistance is tougher than they expected. But in a display of resolve, public support for the war with Iraq remains strong and stable.

Eighty-two percent expect substantial U.S. military casualties in this war, a number that's shot up from 37 percent the night of March 20, when a burst of optimism marked the war's start. Expectations of casualties now exceed their pre-war levels.

Fewer Americans — 28 percent — say the Iraqi resistance is tougher than they expected, but this too is up, from 12 percent Sunday night. And 70 percent of Americans now expect the war to last for months or longer, up from 55 percent last week.

Nonetheless, 73 percent in this ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll support the war, essentially unchanged since last week. And 58 percent support it strongly, well up from the pre-war levels of "strong" support, despite the re-evaluation of likely casualties.

Another result is worth watching as a gauge of the potential impact of casualties on public opinion. Thinking about the war's goals versus its costs, 58 percent of Americans call the number of U.S. casualties to date "acceptable." But 34 percent call them "unacceptable," and 10 percent are unsure.

It's an important measure because, among Americans who call the level of casualties "unacceptable," support for the war is nearly 30 points lower, and support for George W. Bush's handling of the situation is nearly 40 points lower.

In another revealing measure, 58 percent call it unlikely that the United States will get "bogged down in a drawn-out war," while 39 percent see some likelihood of this (including 14 percent who call it "very" likely). Again support for the war, and for Bush, are much lower among people who think a drawn-out entanglement is likely.

How It’s Going

All the same, this poll finds little second-guessing. Eighty-two percent say the war is going well, 34 percent say it's going "very" well, and 69 percent approve of Bush's handling of the situation, all essentially unchanged from Sunday.