MORE ON THIS STORY FULL COVERAGE • America Attacked

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But it doesn't end there — 61 percent also say the war won't be a success unless the United States ousts Saddam, long a bugaboo in U.S. public opinion. More, 72 percent, support U.S. military action against Iraq to achieve that aim. And three-quarters support striking suspected terrorist bases in Yemen, Somalia and Sudan.

The desire to oust Saddam reflects his long-standing, deep unpopularity in this country, dating at least to the Persian Gulf War. In a 1998 Gallup poll, 96 percent of Americans expressed an unfavorable opinion of the Iraqi leader. That's been surpassed only by bin Laden, at 97 percent unfavorable last month.

Measuring the War on Terrorism's Success
	YES	NO
Must Bin Laden Be Caught?	64%	34%
Must Saddam Hussein Be Ousted?	61%	33%

Partly for these reasons, vast majorities believe the hardest part of U.S. efforts remains ahead. Even when it comes to Afghanistan, 80 percent say the most difficult part of U.S. military efforts "is yet to come." In terms of the broader campaign against terrorism, this rises to 88 percent.

On the search for bin Laden, most Americans are cautiously optimistic: 70 percent think the United States ultimately will capture or kill him. But that's down from 81 percent back on Sept. 27, before the Afghanistan campaign began. And just 32 percent are "very confident" the United States will get bin Laden, despite the recent assurances of President Bush and other administration officials.

Bush Still Riding High

Bush's ratings continue to defy gravity. His job approval rating is an extraordinary 86 percent, a level it's maintained steadily since Sept. 11. And as many people approve of his handling of the war on terrorism. In an apparent halo effect, 67 percent even approve of his handling of the economy, despite the recession.

Bush has averaged a 72 percent job approval rating in his first year in office, putting him in the top rank alongside his father, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. The war on terrorism is the reason: Bush's average approval rating pre-Sept. 11 was just 58 percent, but since Sept. 11 it's averaged 89 percent.

Most also continue to back the administration's anti-terrorism efforts at home, rejecting suggestions that civil rights are being inadequately safeguarded. Three-quarters say the government is doing enough to protect the rights of average Americans, and two-thirds say it's adequately protecting Arab-Americans and American Muslims. (These are down slightly, though, since late November.)

In an example of the way public opinion has rallied to the federal government's side, this poll finds a 16-point drop in belief that government activities in general "pose a threat to your constitutional rights." Thirty-nine percent feel that this is the case, down from 55 percent in a 1995 poll. And fewer, 21 percent, see a "serious" threat.

Indeed, if anything, it seems the public thinks there is room for the government to be more aggressive, not less so. Fifty-nine percent of Americans say the government is doing all it reasonably can do try to prevent further attacks, but that's down from a peak of 71 percent in early October.

Suspicion of government activities as a threat to constitutional rights is higher among nonwhites, Democrats and liberals. However, majorities in all three groups also say the government is doing enough to protect the rights of average Americans.

Does the Government Threaten Your Rights?
YEAR	YES	NO
2001	39%	59%
1995*	55%	42%

*Los Angeles Times survey

This poll also finds a decline in suspicion of people of Arab descent. Right after the Sept. 11 attacks, 43 percent of Americans said they'd be more suspicious of people who appeared to be of Arab descent. In mid-October it was 38 percent, and now it's 31 percent.

More Suspicious of Arabs
Dec. 19	31%
Oct. 9	38%
Sept. 13	43%

Fears of Another Attack

While most Americans remain worried about the chance of further terrorist attacks, that concern has dropped by more than 15 points since its Sept. 11 peak, and high-level concern — people who are "very worried" — is down even further. Seventy percent now say they're worried about more major attacks, down from a peak of 87 percent on Sept. 11. And 27 percent are very worried, down from 49 percent.

Concern About More Terror Attacks
DATE	CONCERNED	CONCERNED "GREAT DEAL"
Dec. 19	70%	27%
Oct. 15	77%	35%
Sept. 11	87%	49%

Boosted by approval of his handling of the war, Bush enjoys the upper hand in public opinion vis-à-vis the Democrats in Congress. Fifty-four percent say the country should go in the direction Bush wants to lead, compared to 28 percent who prefer the Democrats' direction. It was an even split, by contrast, just before Sept. 11.

It's not clear, though, how the debate over economic stimulus will play out in public opinion. Customarily — absent war — all political figures lose support in difficult economic times, but especially the president, as with Bush's father after the Gulf War.

At the same time, the economy is the chief concern Americans cite for Congress to handle (the war on terrorism apparently being seen more as an administration job). And majorities identify three areas in which Congress is not doing enough: health care, the economy and education (that last despite passage of the education bill).

Congress has a 59 percent approval rating, compared to 45 percent in a Sept. 9 ABCNEWS/Post poll. That's its all-time high in decades of opinion polling.

Still Signs of Partisanship

Bush's broad approval rating does not signal the death of partisanship; it still shows up in "strong" approval. While 87 percent of Republicans approve "strongly" of Bush's work in office, that dives to 39 percent of Democrats. And his strong approval is 33 points higher among conservatives than among liberals, 25 points higher among whites than among nonwhites and 13 points higher among men than among women.

There's also a big difference between the parties in Bush's approval on handling the economy: 90 percent among Republicans, 44 percent among Democrats.

There are no such differences on whether the United States needs to get bin Laden for the war on terrorism to succeed; like-sized majorities across these groups say yes. Nonwhites, Democrats and liberals are less apt, though, to prefer he be killed than captured.

This ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone Dec. 18-19 among a random national sample of 755 adults. The results have a 3.5-point error margin. Field work was conducted by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.