US President George W. Bush's approval rating has dropped to 52 per cent according to a new poll - close to the lowest level of his presidency.
Before the September 11th attacks in 2001, Mr Bush's standing was at 51 per cent but his handling of the war on terror then sent his popularity soaring to 90 per cent in some polls.
This latest rating was compiled by Gallup for CNN-USA Today.
"We're right back where we started," said Mr Frank Newport, executive editor of The Gallup Poll. "The public still perceives the economy is poor. We don't see a sign of consumer pickup in our data. There's little question that Iraq is not helping and is probably hurting him."
Gallup interviewed 1,025 adults between Monday and Wednesday for the poll, after Mr Bush's nationally televised address on Iraq. A Time-CNN poll released before the speech also showed Mr Bush with a 52 per cent approval rating. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Asked if the Bush administration has a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq, 59 per cent said no.
Fewer than half (45per cent ) approve of the president's dealings on the economy, and 52 per cent approve of his handling of foreign policy - down from 68 per cent in May after Mr Bush declared that major combat operations in Iraq had ended.
About half (51 per cent ) approved of Mr Bush's handling of Iraq, down from 76 per cent in mid-April when Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled. Support remains strong for the president's ability to deal with the terrorist threat, with 64 per cent approving.
Four in 10 say they are satisfied with the way things are going in the US, with 58 per cent dissatisfied. That is about the level of satisfaction in early March before the start of the war with Iraq.
The number who say the situation in Iraq was worth going to war over has dropped from 63 per cent in August to 58 per cent . More than half, 51 per cent , are opposed to Congress authorising the additional $87 billion Mr Bush has requested for Iraq and the war on terrorism.