Despite a clear sense that the United States was still to achieve its principle war aims, public support for the war in Iraq has continued to rise with the fall of Baghdad.

Some 70 percent of respondents said the United States was right to take military action when it did, up from 63 percent two weeks ago, according to the poll conducted for Newsweek.

Seventy-three percent of those questioned thought the war in Iraq had gone very well, while another 20 percent thought it had gone somewhat well. Some 62 percent thought that the number of US soldiers killed during the war, which currently stands at 107, was acceptable.

Support for US President George W Bush over Iraq had also risen, the poll found, with 74 percent of respondents supporting his handling of the crisis, while 78 percent thought he was doing a good job of preventing terrorism at home.

But away from the issue of Iraq, the poll made less comforting reading for Bush. Only 51 percent of those questioned thought that Bush should win a second term, while 38 percent were opposed to the idea.

Support for his handling of a host of domestic issues has slipped in recent weeks, with less than half those polled approving of Bush's performance on the economy, the environment, education, taxation, energy policy and health care.

Princeton Survey Research Associates polled 1,000 adults by telphone on April 10 and 11. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

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