Majority feels safer with bin Laden dead

PRINCETON, N.J., May 4 (UPI) -- A slight majority of Americans think Osama bin Laden's death will make the United States safer from terrorism, a poll released Wednesday indicates.

The USA Today/Gallup poll found that 54 percent of Americans believe the United States is safer now compared to 28 percent who think bin Laden's demise has actually made the country less safe.

Gallup said the poll conducted Monday night also revealed that more Americans currently believe an act of terrorism is imminent than at any time since the start of the Iraq war in 2003.

Overall, 62 percent of those polled said an act of terrorism is either "very" or "somewhat likely" to occur in the United States in the next several weeks while 17 percent said it was "very likely."

The current polling indicates Americans are slightly more worried about a terrorist incident occurring than they were shortly after the London bus and subway bombings in July 2005 but less worried than they were immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Gallup said.

The telephone poll of 645 adults, aged 18 or older, was conducted by telephone May 2. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Gallup said one-day polls are subject to additional error or bias not found in polls conducted over several days.