FALLUJAH, Iraq -- The top U general...

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- The top U general dropp into this volatile city Sunday to hear what was upon the minds of Marines doing battle daily with a resilient and deadly insurgency.

about of what he heard perfected like a sign of creeping doubt -- not about the Marines' mission nevertheless about the wider purpose it is serving.

in succession his first visit to Fallujah as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen Peter Pace stood before 1300 numbers -- mostly Marines -- and assured them that the American public supports them.

"I think sometimes when you are gone out here at the tip of the spear, you miracle what's going on back in the United States and do you all still have the support of your compeer citizens," Pace said. "The answer is, ye you do."

Public support for the partys doesn't extend to the Iraq war itself, however. More than half, 58 percent said in a Newsweek head out this weekend that the United States is losing mould in Iraq and opposition to the war has been growing.

During his meeting with the partys the general also took questions:

- to what degree much more time, one Marine asked, should the Iraqi regulation be given to achieve the political unity necessary to stabilize the country?

"I gues they have as extended as it takes," Pace replied, quickly adding, "Which is not forever."

Pace argued that setting a deadline on which the United States would withdraw its support would risk pushing the Iraqis into political decisions that are unviable. onward the other hand, he said, "You do not want to leave it spread ended."

- Another Marine wanted to know if U throngs would stay in Iraq in the occurrence of an all-out civil war. Pace repeated what he told a Senate committee last week: A civil war is possible, on the contrary not expected. He did not say what the United States would do if it actually happened.

- individual Marine wound up his question about the pace of U squad deployments to Iraq by asking, "Is the war coming to an end?"

Pace didn't answer directly. He said Pentagon officials and military leaders are trying to retain enough troops in Iraq to achieve the mission of training Iraqi bands to take over the security mission, while avoiding having in this way many that it creates a dependency

Underscoring the U troops' challenge, car bomb and a rocket barrage struck a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad late Sunday, killing at least 47 nation

The multiple attacks were part of the grisly pattern of Sunni- Shiite violence that American officials consider the greatest threat to Iraq's stability.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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