Most Iraqis consider former President Saddam Hussein...

Most Iraqis consider former President Saddam Hussein a criminal, yet they still believe he deserves a fair trial before Iraqi judges, according to poll results released in Baghdad.
More than half the respondents said Hussein's execution was the preferred outcome of any court proceeding.
The survey of 1,000 Iraqis in eight cities across the country, conducted by an independent Iraqi research group, was the first scientific study of how residents feel about Hussein's capture by US forces on December 13.
Although nearly 60 percent of Iraqis said they were "delighted" at the arrest, the event ranked third -- behind security and fuel -- as their most important concern.
"People are more concerned with their own problems," said Nabil Salim, a professor at Baghdad University and adviser to the polling agency.
Citing safety concerns, interviewers did not poll residents of Hussein's hometown, Tikrit. Poll organizers said that at least two interviewers were beaten for asking questions in Ramadi and Mosul, and 50 people refused to answer any questions at all for fear Hussein would return and punish them.
"Some of them still think Saddam is a national hero, and they thought he doesn't deserve (his arrest)," said Sadoun Al-Dulame, director of the Iraq Center for Research and Strategic Studies, the polling agency.
The poll also outlines the type of justice that Iraqis want for Hussein. Sixty percent want him tried before an Iraqi judge, while 25 percent prefer an international tribunal. Slightly more than half favor Hussein's execution, while 25 percent prefer a prison term for him.
Poll organizers said they were surprised that nearly 20 percent of those surveyed advocated clemency for the dictator, or to "let bygones be bygones," as the poll question put it.
"Yes, people think Saddam is definitely a criminal, but at the same time, 84 percent of them believe he should have a fair trial," Dulame said. "This is a vital point for the future of Iraq because Iraqis are looking for the sovereignty of the law."
Most of those surveyed were men; all were older than 18, and they came from a wide range of socioeconomic levels, Dulame said. The survey had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.