Washington, D.C. -- The Honorable Rick Santorum, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, today released the results of a national survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of the Program to Protect America's Freedom.  Senator Santorum discussed the poll at a public forum on American perceptions of the "Gathering Storm" and the alliance between Iran and Latin America.  Please see attached memo for conclusions and recommendations.

"I believe that there is a growing recognition that Islamic fundamentalism is a long-term threat, and therefore, America's fight against it will constitute a long-term war with many battlefronts.  Despite the current political environment -- divided opinions on Iraq, distrust of the President's broader war policy, and the ability of Congress to get things done -- there is general agreement that the U.S. faces a more significant threat that goes beyond the battlefield in Iraq or the presidency of George W. Bush.  But our leaders must do a better job of informing the public of the broader threats. There is very little awareness, for example, of the threat posed by radical Islamic regimes working in concert with anti-American governments, particularly Hugo Chavez's Venezuela," said Santorum.

Key findings of the poll include:

1. Two-thirds of Americans agree that this is the most dangerous time that our country has ever lived through.
2. A plurality of Americans believes that the threat from Islamic Fundamentalism poses a bigger threat to the U.S. than either Soviet Communism in the 1960s or Nazism in the late 1930s.
3. Nearly 60% believe the next generation of Americans will be less safe from foreign threats than we are now.
4. Al Qaeda, Iran, and Islamic fundamentalist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah are considered by Americans to pose the most imminent threat to the security of the United States, both currently and over the next twenty years.
5. Nearly 60% believe "The Iraq War is a key part of the global war on terrorism."