US Secretary of State Colin Powell says waning support among Americans for the occupation of Iraq will revive once U.S. forces there have stamped out a surge of armed resistance.
In the most intense battles since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, U.S. forces have launched an air and ground offensive aimed at defeating anti-American fighters in the city of Falluja and are locked in a standoff around the holy city of Najaf.
With fewer than half of Americans now telling pollsters they believe invading Iraq was the right thing to do, Powell acknowledged on Thursday "determined resistance" had given the military "tough" weeks.
"Obviously when casualties are going up, and April has been a particularly bad month for casualties...this causes people to stop and think and reflect, 'What are we doing?' and you can expect this to be reflected in the polls," Powell said during a news conference in Denmark.
"But I am also convinced that once we deal with this current difficult situation in Falluja and down in Najaf in that area, people will recognise we are on top of it and the polls will reflect that," Powell told reporters.
The top U.S. diplomat predicted the United States would end the crisis in the Sunni-dominated city of Falluja well before the June 30 transfer to Iraqis of limited self-rule.
"That will be over, and we can get on with the process of getting ready for the transition to a sovereign government," he told CNN in an interview.
A CBS/New York Times poll said only 47 percent of Americans now believed invading Iraq was the right thing to do, an all-time low. More than 120 U.S. soldiers have been killed in combat this month.
With the coalition fraying after Spain, Honduras and the Dominican Republic decided to withdraw their troops, Powell visited Denmark to thank it for "not blinking" in the face of the conflict.
In turn, Denmark urged the United States to listen more to the views of its European allies on Iraq and the Middle East.
"There is a feeling that European views are not always taken fully into account," Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a news conference after talks with Powell.
Powell said he agreed on the need for "enhanced dialogue" and would "demonstrate the strength of our transatlantic relations either in the NATO context or in the EU or the G8 context over the next two months".
He also urged NATO to play a role in Iraq, noting the transatlantic military alliance had the capability to run a command headquarters in the country even if there was not a "great reservoir of troops" available from member countries.
Powell said some might question how sovereign Iraq will be on July 1 if U.S.-led foreign troops remain in the country.
"Because a large military presence will still be required under U.S. command, some would say 'Well you are not giving full sovereignty'. But we are giving sovereignty so that sovereignty can be used to say, 'We invite you to remain'. That is a sovereign decision," Powell said.