Fewer Palestinians back suicide bombings - poll

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RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian public support for suicide bomb attacks in Israel has dropped to its lowest level in three years of Middle East conflict, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's rating also declined but he remained more than twice as popular as any other public figure, the survey by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) found.

In a report on its web site, it said 48 percent favoured suicide bombings -- less than half for the first time since March 2000, six months before an uprising against Israel erupted as U.S.-brokered peace talks broke down.<snip>

<snip>Another poll by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics of Palestinians aged 10 to 24 found a majority opposed suicide bombings but gave no figure. It said 57.8 percent wanted peace negotiations with Israel to resume

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