Most Americans want the United States to take more time seeking a peaceful solution in Iraq rather than moving quickly into a military confrontation, a new poll says.

By 60 percent to 35 percent, people in the Newsweek poll released Saturday said they would prefer that the Bush administration allow more time to find an alternative to war.

Support for a military option would be strong, 81 percent, if the United States were to act with full allied support and the backing of the U.N. Security Council. A majority would be opposed should this country act without the support of the United Nations and had no more than one or two allies.

U.S. officials and their allies currently are discussing the appropriate timetable for military action against Iraq, which faces a U.N. demand that it abandon its weapons of mass destruction. Europeans are urging that President Bush give inspectors more time.

The president’s job approval was at 56 percent in the Newsweek poll and 53 percent in a CNN-Time poll released over the weekend. His approval rate was in the 60s in both polls in November. According to the CNN-Time poll, the decline comes as a result of slightly higher disapproval among Republicans, independents and Democrats.