Opinions are deeply divided. Some highlights:
Mo re Iraqis say the United States was right than say it was wrong to lead the invasion, but by just 48 to 39 percent, with 13 percent expressing no opinion - hardly the unreserved welcome some U.S. policymakers had anticipated.
As many Iraqis say the war "humiliated" Iraq as say it "liberated" the country; more oppose than support the presence of coalition forces there now (although most also say they should stay for the time being); and relatively few express confidence in those forces, in the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, or in the Iraqi Governing Council.
The poll finds that 78 percent of Iraqis reject violence against coalition forces, although 17 percent - a sixth of the population - call such attacks "acceptable." One percent, for comparison, call it acceptable to attack members of the new Iraqi police. There are huge differences in these and many other questions between Arab Iraqis, who account for 79 percent of the population, and the Kurdish minority (17 percent). Forty percent of Arabs say it was right for the United States to invade; that soars to 87 percent of Kurds. Just one-third of Arabs say the war liberated rather than humiliated Iraq; it's 82 percent of Kurds. Thirty percent of Arabs support the presence of coalition forces, again compared with 82 percent of Kurds. Positive views of the invasion also are held disproportionately in the South of the country, as well as in the Kurdish north.
PERSONAL LIVES - On a personal level, seven in 10 Iraqis say things overall are going well for them - a result that might surprise outsiders imagining the worst of life in Iraq today. Fifty-six percent say their lives are better now than before the war, compared with 19 percent who say things are worse (23 percent, the same). And the level of personal optimism is extraordinary: Seventy-one percent expect their lives to improve over the next year.
How long should coalition forces remain? Until Iraq gov't is in place 36% Until security is restored 18 Leave now 15 Six months or more 10 Few months 8
Confidence in institutions (% confident) Religious leaders 70% The police 68 New Iraqi Army 56 Local leaders in your community 50 Iraqi Media Network TV 50 Ministries in Baghdad 44 The press 43 The United Nations 40 The (Iraqi Governing) Council 39 The CPA 28 Political parties 28 US and UK occupation forces 25