Poll shows 18 pc of Iraqis trust US forces: BBC

Baghdad, Mar 19: Only 18 percent of Iraqis have confidence in US-led forces and about 86 percent are concerned about someone in their household being a victim of violence, according to a survey published by the BBC today.

The poll of more than 2,000 people indicated Iraqis have become less optimistic about their future compared to a similar survey in 2005 when respondents were generally hopeful, the BBC said.

The Iraqi government inspired more confidence than US-led forces, with opinion almost evenly split on whether people had confidence in the US-backed administration headed by Shi'ite Islamist Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Iraqis were also disappointed by reconstruction efforts in the four years since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, with 67 percent saying efforts had not been effective.

Full results of the poll, commissioned by the BBC, ABC News, ARD and USA Today, were due to be published later today, the BBC said on its Web site.

Reuters