LONDON (Reuters) - Despite putting him back in the dock over the Iraq war, the London bombings have bolstered British Prime Minister Tony Blair's political standing.

An opinion poll on Tuesday showed Blair's rating as leader had soared to its second-highest level -- even as most voters think his decision to back the U.S.-led invasion has made Britain more of a target for terrorists.

Blair, who won a third term in May, proved his statesmanlike credentials with a firm but measured response to the July 7 bombings that killed 52 people and the failed attacks of July 21, analysts said.

Again and again we hear from media pundits about how the people are growing weary of the war in Iraq. How more and more they feel that the war there is a mistake. Yet when push comes to shove and security issues are placed directly in the collective faces of "the people," again and again they choose to support Bush and Blair, the two primary architects of the war in Iraq.

What does this tell us about the true nature of American and British citizens' support for the war in Iraq and the war on terror in general?