Polls show Russians consider war in Iraq to be a crime

A year after U.S. and British troops invaded Iraq the majority of Russians consider the war in Iraq to be a crime against the Iraqi people, an exit poll released by the Russian Center for Public Opinion Research (VCIOM) shows. 62 percent said the Iraqi war was the crime, and 23 percent said that to oust the Iraqi dictator was necessary, but the military operation was unjustified. Only 4 percent fully backed the US position. And 11 percent could not define their position. Asked if the targets of the military operation in Iraq are achieved, only 21 said yes, according to the survey of 1,587 people conducted in 100 cities and towns of Russia on February 21 to 22. The survey has a margin of error of 3.4 percent.