US President George W Bush's approval rating slipped to 35% at the end of June and two in three Americans disapprove of his handling of Iraq despite a recent string of good news there, a poll has said.
The Time magazine survey also showed that only 28% of respondents believed the country was going in the right directions, down from 34% in March.
It showed the president's ratings fall two points since March despite the killing of Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the filling of three key Iraqi security ministers' posts, and the clearing of Bush's political right-hand man Karl Rove in a CIA leak case.
Only 33% liked Bush's leadership on Iraq while 64 per cent said they disapproved his handling of the campaign, with the approval figure also down two points since the March poll.
Some 48% said they saw little prospect of Iraq turning into an independent, democratic society while 39% said they thought it still could.
The Time telephone survey was conducted between June 27 and 29. It interviewed 1,003 adults at random and has a margin of error of three percentage points.
{{/usCountry}}The Time telephone survey was conducted between June 27 and 29. It interviewed 1,003 adults at random and has a margin of error of three percentage points.
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