According to the latest poll conducted by the Center for Strategic Studies, the percentage of Jordanians that consider Bin Laden’s al-Qaeda movement as a legitimate resistance group has dropped from 66.8% in 2004 to 20% in December 2005. Here is an excerpt from the Jordan Times’ article:

PollPublic opinion on terrorism has significantly changed over the past year, with a majority of Jordanians classifying Al Qaeda as a terrorist rather than a "legitimate resistance organization," a poll showed Wednesday.

According to a study published by the University of Jordan’s Center for Strategic Studies (CSS), the percentage of respondents who consider Osama Bin Laden’s al-Qaeda organization as a legitimate resistance group dropped from 66.8 per cent in 2004 to 20 per cent in December 2005. Pollsters told The Jordan Times they believe the Nov. 9 Amman bombings had a great impact on citizens’ perception of terrorist organizations and acts.

While this is good news, of course, it is still sad to know that it took the loss of innocent Jordanian lives for some to finally recognize that al-Qaeda is indeed a terrorist group.