WASHINGTON — A growing number of Americans, seven in 10, doesn't think the war in Iraq has reduced the threat of terrorism, according to a poll out Wednesday.
Fewer than half felt that way in April, during the war. President Bush and members of his administration frequently say the efforts in Iraq are central to winning the war on terror.
The poll by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland also found strong support, 71%, for the United Nations to take the lead in helping establish a stable government in Iraq. That's up from half who felt that way in April.
Despite apparent uneasiness with this country's military presence in Iraq, two-thirds said they don't think U.S. troops should withdraw until there is a stable government. That's down 14 points from April, however.
That Iraqi government wouldn't have to be friendly to the United States, in their view. Four in five agreed that Iraqis should be able to choose their own government, even if that government is unfriendly to the United States.
The poll of 712 people was conducted by Knowledge Networks from Nov. 21–30 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
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