WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Nearly one-third of participants in a UPI-Zogby International poll said oil supplies played a role in the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq.

The White House has consistently said security concerns drove the decision to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and occupy the country nearly four years ago. Critics often suggested the oil reserves in Iraq -- some of the largest in the world -- were considered in the administration's planning.

A total of 32.7 percent of the 6,909 U.S. respondents to a Jan. 16-18 Zogby interactive poll said Iraq's oil was a "major" concern and 23.7 percent said it was not a factor. Participants were asked to rate the role of oil in the invasion decision on a 1-5 scale, with 1 being "not a factor" and 5 representing a "major factor."

The opinions were statistically linked to participants' opinion of the Bush energy policies in general. Some 60.2 percent of those who say U.S. President George Bush has "poor" energy policies, said oil was a "major factor in the war while 64.6 percent of those who see the White House energy policies as "excellent" said Iraq's oil was not a factor.

There is a 1.2-percentage-point margin of error in the data.

Commentary: