Nearly six in 10 Americans want to see US troops leave Iraq either immediately or within a year, according to a CNN poll released on Tuesday.

And 52 percent say Congress should block funding for US President George W. Bush's plan to send additional troops to Iraq.

The CNN poll was conducted last Friday through last Sunday by Opinion Research Corp and 1,027 adults were surveyed.

Bush announced in January that he will send another 21,500 US troops to Iraq to crack down sectarian violence and insurgency.

Over the weekend, the White House approved the deployment of another 4,400 support troops.

The poll found those decisions are unpopular, with 59 percent opposing the president's plan.

The latest survey also showed Americans are more receptive to having Congress take the lead, with 47 percent saying the lawmakers shall be "primarily responsible" for setting war policy.

In comparison, only 33 percent said the president should be primarily responsible for setting the country's course.

The Democratic leadership in Congress has opposed Bush's war plan, with the support of a handful of Bush's fellow Republicans.

However, efforts to use congressional control over spending to rein in the president have split the Democrats, particularly in the House of Representatives.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2007)