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In the United States, polling is the province of the academic and the wonkish. But in Iraq, it is a hazardous endeavor, conducted by the nimble and the brave.

In a joint effort by ABC News, USA Today, ARD German TV and the United Kingdom's BBC, 150 Iraqi field workers were dispatched to some of the most restive parts of the country to interview 2,212 adults. Several pollsters reported witnessing bombings and shootings while on the job; others were detained or harassed by the authorities. The survey, conducted in late February through early this month, suggests that Bush administration officials may be the very last men standing behind the war in Iraq.

Iraqis remain more convinced than Americans that the U.S.-led invasion four years ago was the right thing to do: 48 percent of Iraqis said so, compared with 35 percent of respondents in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey who said the war had been worth the cost. But the situation on the ground remains far from satisfactory for most Iraqis.

Nearly seven in 10 told ABC/USA/ARD/BBC pollsters that reconstruction efforts in their war-torn country had been ineffective, with 82 percent reported having little or no confidence in American and British occupying forces. Nor did Iraqis have much confidence in their local leaders, their national government or their local militia; 45 percent, 49 percent and 36 percent did, respectively. Somewhat surprisingly, the much-derided Iraqi police and Army received higher marks (64 percent and 61 percent, respectively).

Most Iraqis reported living in substandard conditions, both psychologically and physically. Nearly three-quarters said they did not feel safe in their own neighborhoods, and 54 percent said they avoided crowded areas such as markets "to avoid trouble." Nearly seven in 10 said they monitored what they said about themselves to others as a safety precaution, and 81 percent said they avoided U.S. and coalition troops.

Nearly half of Sunnis polled said a car bomb or suicide attack had occurred near their home, and 40 percent reported gunfire nearby. Fewer of the majority Shiites experienced such violence. Four in 10 of the total sample were aware of kidnappings for ransom in their area, and 44 percent knew of unprovoked violence committed by U.S. or coalition forces.

For most Iraqis, fear of attacks on themselves and their loved ones is a regular part of life. Eighty-six percent said they worried about violence hitting home, and nearly half said someone close to them living outside their household had been victimized by the unrest in their country. When asked which group was most responsible for the violence, a 31-percent plurality pointed to the U.S.-led coalition there. Al-Qaida and jihadis from outside Iraq took second place, with 18 percent. A combined 11 percent blamed either Sunni or Shiite militias.

Here in the United States, mounting opposition to the war has taken the form of anger at the Bush administration. A new Newsweek survey shows 61 percent believe the United States is losing its grip in Iraq, and 64 percent remain opposed to President Bush's plan to boost troop levels. The stress of combat has in some cases taken a heavy toll on U.S. soldiers returning from combat. Iraqi civilians, arguably more than any American, seem also to be living pressure-cooker existences.

Three-quarters of respondents reported having trouble sleeping because of the situation in their country. Slightly more said they experienced feelings of depression, 82 percent stated they felt angry, and 72 percent said they had difficulty concentrating on work or routine activities. The business of day-to-day living is exacerbated, respondents said, by scant availability of jobs, electricity, fuel, clean water and medical care; large majorities report shortages where they live. Three-quarters also reported lacking freedom of movement and the freedom to live where they want without persecution.

Nearly eight in 10 Iraqis opposed the presence of coalition troops in Iraq. That is more in tune than not with the sentiments of Americans, nearly 60 percent of whom want troops out by 2008, according to Newsweek's measure.

See the full poll for questions on the kind of government Iraqis envision for themselves. ABC News has accounts of how the poll was conducted on the ground.

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20% Job approval rating.	28% Job approval rating.	19% Give the economy a positive rating.	20% Say country is going in right direction.

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