Plurality of Americans Say `Give Sanctions More Time'

A PLURALITY of Americans favor continuing economic sanctions over military action in the Persian Gulf, even though most think President Bush has done his best to secure peace, a Time-Cable News Network poll said Saturday. Of those surveyed, 51 percent said Bush had ``done enough to secure a peaceful settlement with Iraq''; 40 percent said the president was ``too ready to go to war.'' Another 45 percent said the United States should continue economic sanctions against Iraq; 41 percent favor military action.

Some 54 percent said the United States should go to war soon after the Jan. 15 deadline for Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait; 40 percent preferred waiting.

The poll of 1,000 people was taken Jan. 10. The sampling error was plus or minus 3 percent.