- WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nearly
seven in 10 Americans believe it is likely that ousted Iraqi leader Saddam
Hussein was personally involved in the Sept. 11 attacks, says a poll out
almost two years after the terrorists' strike against this country.
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- Sixty-nine percent in a Washington Post poll published
Saturday said they believe it is likely the Iraqi leader was personally
involved in the attacks carried out by al-Qaeda.
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- A majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents
believe it's likely Mr. Hussein was involved.
-
- The belief in the connection persists even though there
has been no proof of a link between the two.
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- U.S. President George W. Bush and members of his administration
suggested a link between the two in the months before the war in Iraq.
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- Claims of possible links have never been proven, however.
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- Veteran pollsters say the persistent belief of a link
between the attacks and Mr. Hussein could help explain why public support
for the decision to go to war in Iraq has been so resilient despite problems
establishing a peaceful country.
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- The president frequently has called the Iraq war an important
centerpiece in the United States' war on terror.
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- But some members of the administration have said recently
they don't believe there is a direct link.
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- The Post poll of 1,003 adults was taken Aug. 7-11 and
has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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- © 2003 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. All Rights
Reserved.
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- http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030906.wpoll0906/BNStory/International/
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