A survey of Iraqi attitudes was published two weeks ago. The survey results were presented in such away that the situation looked grim, one year after our lightening military success. The data says the opposite. I conducted surveys for 20 years and have been an expert witness on the subject for twenty additional years.
The problem is that nobody, with a modicum of intelligence, appears to have looked at the actual survey results. The survey was done by competent Gallup researchers. The published results were erroneously reported.
The key media reported findings were that most Iraqis want American forces to leave immediately.
This is the least relevant finding of the study and gives the worst possible impression.
Demographics is reality in Iraq. The Shia are 65% of the population, Kurds are 17% and the Sunni are 15%. The remaining 3% are miscellaneous. Nearly all the Kurds want us to stay in Iraq: 96%.
On every answer to the questions in the poll, the Kurds responded that they love America…. Absolutely love America for having saved the Kurds. If America leaves now, 94% of the Kurds worry about their future safety. The press made no mention of that.
The Shia give a more nuanced response. Remember, they were massacred by Saddam after the ’91 War when the US didn’t protect them.
Are they glad that Saddam is gone? 92% of the Shia say yes while 57% of the Sunni say yes.
Do they feel they are better off today? 51% of the Shia say yes and 18% no, while 37% of the Sunni say yes and 38% say no. That is an overwhelming yes from the Shia.
Would they feel less safe if America leaves? In both groups Shia and Sunni, 45% say they will be less safe. Do they really want us to leave in that case? I don’t think so.
All in all, was the liberation of Iraq by American forces worth it? 74% of the Shia say the liberation was definitely worth it. The opposite is true of the Sunni, 24% think liberation was worth it.
I can only read this data one way. The bulk of Iraqi’s are grateful to America and American soldiers for freeing them from Saddam and rebuilding their country.
The media, seems to see Iraq entirely from the eyes of Saddam’s former power base, the Sunni.
The Sunni didn’t welcome us, aren’t sure our presence is worth it, but a large group are now worried that we really might leave. They don’t want that to happen.
If anyone finds these survey results reported reliably anywhere else, please let me know.