A study by a Pentagon-funded newspaper, Stars and Stripes, says half the American soldiers in Iraq think their unit's morale is low and their training insufficient.

The survey also records about a third of the respondents complaining that their mission lacks definition and characterising the war in Iraq as of little or no value.

Forty per cent say the jobs they are doing have little or nothing to do with their training.

The findings, drawn from 1,935 questionnaires presented to the service members in Iraq, conflict with statements by military commanders and Bush administration officials.