Washington, Feb. 28 : A majority of Americans are reportedly optimistic about President Barack Obama bringing back U. S. troops from Iraq.

While assessments of the war are now more positive, a solid majority of the public would like to see U. S. troops out of Iraq within 16 months.

Obama has promised to withdraw all American troops from Iraq by 2011.

According to a CBS News/New York Times poll released on February 23, 63 percent of Americans say U. S. efforts to bring stability and order to Iraq are going very or somewhat well.

This evaluation is a reversal from a year ago, when just 43 percent of Americans described things in Iraq as going well.

The public gave the war in Iraq its most positive marks in May 2003, shortly after then-President George W. Bush announced major combat operations in Iraq were over. Back then, 72 percent of Americans thought things were going well in Iraq.

Assessments of the Iraq war reached their lowest point in June 2007, when only 22 percent said things in that country were going somewhat well.

Seventy-eight percent Americans think it is important that most U. S. combat troops are withdrawn from Iraq within 16 months, including 46 percent who think it is very important.

Sixty-six percent of Democrats think it is very important to remove combat troops from Iraq within 16 months, compared to just 28 percent of Republicans who say that. Another four in 10 Republicans do say it is somewhat important to remove U. S. troops.

More women than men think it is very important that U. S. troops come home from Iraq within 16 months. (ANI)