Americans see Al-Qaeda as greatest security threat, North Korea next: Poll

Washington, Dec 9(ANI): A new poll has found that nearly two-thirds of Americans consider Al-Qaeda as a greater security threat to the United States, than North Korea or Iran.

When asked in recent Christian Science Monitor/TIPP poll to rate a list of countries or entities on a 1-to-10 scale based on the threat they pose to the US, 61 percent of Americans placed Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda terrorist organization in the 9-10 or "very high" threat level.

North Korea came in second, earning a "very high" threat rating from 42 percent of those polled, while Iran was third at 37 percent.

Afghanistan earned the "very high" threat rating from 31 percent of Americans, Pakistan from 22 percent and Mexico from nine percent.

Israel and Venezuela were tied at the bottom, with each considered a "very high" threat by only five percent of Americans.

The poll was conducted between November 29 and December 4- shortly after North Korea shelled a small South Korean island off its coast.

Meanwhile, Dr. Robert Pape, a University of Chicago associate professor and leading expert on suicide terrorism, said that to put Al-Qaeda above Iran is quite remarkable.

"It shows [Americans] are realistically weighting and differentiating," Pape said. (ANI)