Iraqis optimistic, poll says

BAGHDAD, March 17 (UPI) -- A survey of Iraqis regarding the future of Iraq indicates that more than half say they are optimistic for the first time in three years, the BBC reported.

Though general sentiments range across Iraqi's ethnic groups, overall, 55 percent of Iraqis said they think their lives are good and 62 percent said the security situation in their own neighborhoods was improved.

Those opinions were reported shared by 62 percent of the Shiite population and 73 percent of the Kurds but only 33 of the Sunnis interviewed shared their enthusiasm, the poll data indicated.

The numbers are up dramatically from early surveys but half of all Iraqis said security is the biggest concern overall and the overwhelming majority say access to basic services such as electricity, fuel and water is "quite bad."

With the five-brigade troop surge seen as a way to make room for political progress in Iraq, 21 percent of Iraqis credit U.S. forces with making the political environment better, with 43 percent saying they're making things worse.

On the other hand, more than 60 percent of those surveyed say they have confidence in Iraqi national security forces while less than 25 percent have that same opinion of local militias.

The results are from a random sample of 2,228 Iraqis over the age of 18. It has a sampling error of 2.5 percentage points and was conducted in person in Arabic or Kurdish from Feb. 12-20.