Ninety percent in an ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll say major challenges still confront the United States in Iraq. Nearly as many, eight in 10, say the work is by no means done — that U.S. forces need to remain in place until a stable government is created.
The capture produced no boost in the number of Americans who say the Iraq war was worth fighting, a modest 53 percent. And even with Saddam's apprehension, just 14 percent say the war is going better than they expected for the United States; nearly twice as many, 27 percent, say it's going worse.
Nonetheless, most see the capture as a sign of better fortune.
Nearly two-thirds say it should help end attacks on U.S. and coalition forces, and should contribute more broadly to the long-term security of the United States. Seven in 10 say it should help produce long-term stability in the region.
And there's agreement especially on the benefit to the Iraqi people: Eighty-one percent of Americans believe Saddam's capture will help restore peace and stability to their country.
While positive, these assessments are measured ones. Far fewer Americans think Saddam's capture will help "a great deal" in achieving any of these goals. The most, 39 percent, think it will do a great deal to restore peace and stability to Iraq; the fewest, 15 percent, think the capture will do a great deal to end attacks on U.S. and coalition military forces.
Bush Gets a Lift
News of the capture spread almost universally: By Sunday evening 95 percent of Americans said they'd heard about it. And it did produce a boost in assessments of President Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq — 58 percent now approve, up 10 points since mid-November to the most since July, when Bush's ratings began to slide in the face of attacks on U.S. forces and a sense the administration lacked a clear plan on how to proceed.
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