A Baghdad Plea: US stay and fight
I really haven't gotten much information claiming the public of Iraq wants us to go. In fact, the very opposite. I read of where people in areas still under US occupation really don't want them to leave, although only because they don't trust the new government quiet yet.
But the point is, I'm not seeing this "Get the US out" theory played out in real public reports. Where is this idea coming from?
Here is a polling of Iraqis from about a year ago.
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/resist/2007/09bbciraqipoll.pdf
Of particular interest: questions eight, eleven, twelve, fourteen (the section on the US), eighteen, nineteen, and twenty-one.
The basics:
48% of Iraqis said that Coalition forces have done a "very bad job" at carrying out their responsibilities in Iraq. Additionally, 32% selected the less-severe but still negative "quite a bad job." Only 18% were split between "quite a good job" and "a very good job."
53% of Iraqis said they strongly oppose the presence of Coalition forces in their country. An additional 26% said they "somewhat oppose" the Coalition being there, adding up to 79% of the population saying that they aren't thrilled to have us there. Only 21% of the population expressed support of the Coalition being there.
47% of Iraqis said that they wish for the United States to leave now. 34% said that they wished for the United States to stay until security is restored. 10% said they wanted the US to remain until the Iraqi government is stronger. 7% said they wanted the US to remain until Iraqi security forces can operate independently. And 2% said that they wanted the US to remain in general but leave eventually.
Meaning that 47% wish for us to leave, and 53% want us to stay.
Interestingly, a higher percentage (21%) blame Al Qaeda for the continuing violence in Iraq than blame the US (19%). Additionally, the Iraqis aren't terribly positive about their own futures post-occupation:
35% said that the US withdrawal would make full-blown Civil War more likely; 65% said that it would either make Civil War less likely (46%) or wouldn't have any effect on the situation (19%).
46% said that the US withdrawal would make it more likely that Iraq would become a base for international terrorists. 54% said it was either less likely (40%) or wouldn't have any effect on the situation (14%).
46% said that the US withdrawal would result in Iran taking control of parts of Iraq. 53% said it was less likely (29%) or wouldn't have any effect on the situation (24%). 1% said they didn't know.
Only 9% said that the US withdrawal would lead to increased violence in Kurdish areas. 89% said it would be less likely (45%) or wouldn't have any effect on the situation (44%). 2% said they didn't know.
So yes, the majority want us to stay for one reason or another, but that majority is shrinking. Given these figures (which I hadn't seen up until now) I would like to revise my earlier statement. Seeing as 63% of Iraqis polled said it was wrong for the Coalition to invade, it seems my previous statement about them being okay with the invasion but not the occupation was flawed.
