posted
I have seen no polls conducted. There have been many anti-U.S. protests, but no pro-U.S. ones that I have seen, nor any protesting the violence against the occupation. Al-Sistani and other moderate clerics who are widely popular in Iraq apparently refuse to condone any attacks on al-Sadr's army by American forces, and vocally oppose the Iraqi constitution we support. Iraqi police officers refuse to fight in Fallujah and many are quitting to join the militias fighting against us. Originally the claim was that it was only Al Qaeda foreigners and Saddam loyalists that were fighting back, but now it seems pretty clear that many others are involved - including both Sunnis and Shiites.
Doesn't all this evidence point much more to the existence of widespread opposition to our occupation?
What evidence is there that this is just a tiny minority opinion, and that everyone else secretly likes us? The only thing I can think of is the fact that our government tells us so - a very weak piece of evidence, when you consider that these are the guys that claimed to have proof that Iraq had WMDs, and who have a long record of losing touch with reality in order to keep with their agenda.
Pundits and policy-makers are throwing around this "it's only a tiny minority" claim like it's an established fact. Why? I hope it's not just because the Bush administration says so - as we have already seen what that can get us into.
posted
The media does a pretty good job of keeping back evidence that only a tiny minority of Americans oppose us.
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Most want us out and an Iraqi government in charge. But 36% want us to stay until an Iraqi government was in place.
But only 17% say violence against the Coalition forces is justified.
More Iraqis think 48.2% think it was at least somewhat right for the U.S.-led coalition to invade Iraq. 39.1% think it was at least somewhat wrong for us to invade.
And over 70% think an Iraqi democracy is what's needed for the country's political future.
56% think they are better off right now than before the war.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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17% support attacks on coalition forces. Only 4% support attacks on U.N. workers, and only 1.5% support attacks on Iraqi police.
The U.S. and U.K. are also the LEAST trusted of all the political groups and organizations listed in the survey as options.
Over 50% oppose the presence of coalition forces in Iraq, including 31% strongly oppose. BUT only 15% said they should leave now.
So, it sounds like the number supporting violent rebellion against us is more than the Bush administration would have us believe, but far less than a majority. And Iraqis want us out of their country, but at least at the time of this survey, most were willing to give us more time.
This was taken in February 2004, though - well BEFORE the recent wave of violence. My suspicion would be that today the percentages have probably swung more against us, given what has happened since then.
- 47% say attacks against U.S. troops are justified some or all of the time. 52% say they aren't.
- 46% say the war has done more harm than good. Only 33% said it did more good than harm.
- 42% says Iraq is better off after the war. 39% says it is worse off.
- 52% say U.S. military action in Iraq is not justified. 47% says it is.
-57% want U.S. and British troops to leave immediately, within the next few months.
So, at this point, it looks like a slim majority opposes us. How can we claim we are doing this for the Iraqi people if so many oppose us being there, and about half seem to think our invasion made things worse in Iraq?
quote:BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Nearly half the Iraqis polled in a survey conducted primarily in March and early April said they believed the U.S.-led war had done more harm than good, but 61 percent of respondents said Saddam Hussein's ouster made it worth any hardships.
posted
I don't know about on-line proof I can show you at the moment, but I heard a radio interview with a commanding officer that just returned from over there (on a short leave) and he said overall, most of the country is doing very well, and at peace and progressing. He said it is only the 5% of the area -- "trouble pockets" where they have skirmishes that the media pounces on, while ignoring the rest of the country. Comparatively saying if we had a military uprising in Denver, it would be portrayed as if the whole country is at war.
He sounded very convincing to me -- I don't remember enough about it to share it all here, but with my opinion of current media, it made sense.
posted
Rakeesh, I was illustrating that the Iraqis don't support us, not whether or not they think ousting Saddam was worth it (which is what the wording of that particular question was getting at.)
Obviously, they are going to be more likely to agree when you word the question "was ousting Saddam worth it." It's like the difference between saying "Is abortion worth it?" and "Is abortion worth it if it requires killing fetuses?"
posted
Ouch. I can't imagine that the pictures some of our troops took of Iraqi prisoners will help our cause much. Did anyone watch 60 Mins 2 last night? I made it through about three minutes, and bailed.
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