Majority of Americans Believe Iraqis Are Better Off, Poll Finds
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSNews.com Correspondent
December 29, 2005
(CNSNews.com) - A majority of Americans believe that Iraqis are better off now than they were under Saddam Hussein, but are increasingly skeptical of the justifications for the war, according to a poll released Thursday by Harris Interactive.
The poll, which surveyed 1,961 Americans, found that 56 percent of Americans believe the war has benefited Iraqi citizens, while 16 percent believe they were better off under Saddam.
Less than half believe that Saddam posed a "serious threat" to the United States or that the ousted dictator had "strong links" with al Qaeda.
In October 2004, 62 percent of Americans believed that "Saddam Hussein had strong links to Al Qaeda." The recent poll found that number at 41 percent. Twenty-six percent of Americans now believe Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the U.S. invaded in March 2003, down from 38 percent in October 2004.
The poll did not ask whether or not respondents agreed with the objective of promoting democracy, which President Bush has cited as a major reason for beginning and continuing military efforts in Iraq
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