From: rhinoceros (rhinoceros@freemail.gr)
Date: Sat May 29 2004 - 08:29:18 MDT
One thing on which I happen to agree with Joe Dees is that I don't think much of BBC's political coverage either lately. They tend to do "lazy journalism", just adding something like "maybe it is so, maybe not" after most stories they report. They have seen better days.
Now, about that Gallup/CNN/USA Today poll in Iraq (April 2004)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-04-28-poll-cover_x.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-04-28-gallup-iraq-findings.htm
it should be noted how the Kurdish issue affects the results:
Occupiers or liberators?
Baghdad: 82% occupiers
Shi’ite areas: 80% occupiers
Sunni areas: 80% occupiers
Kurdish areas: 1% occupiers
Total (average): 71% occupiers
Should US/British forces leave immediately (next few months)?
Baghdad: 75% yes
Shi’ite areas: 61% yes
Sunni areas: 65% yes
Kurdish areas: 3% yes
Total (average): 57% yes
We notice a similar pattern with questions more "delicate" to the people asked, such as whether the attacks on coalition troops are justified.
As an Iraqi put it:
<quote>
"I'm not ungrateful that they took away Saddam Hussein," says Salam Ahmed, 30, a Shiite businessman. "But the job is done. Thank you very much. See you later. Bye-bye."
<end quote>
At the same time, the poll suggests that many Iraqis (44-50% in Iraq proper) would feel less safe with what would be left behind if the occupation troops left today. I doubt this can be attributed to loyal Saddamists. A society with demolished state structures is a more likely reason.
Generally, the polls have this problem: They factor-in the Kurdish, whose main concern is to stay free from Iraqi authority. Dubya seems to get 95% approval in Kurdistan (hmm... does anyone think what I think...?) The reasonable thing to do would be an independent Kurdistan, but some precious US allies such as Turkey wouldn't be amused at all by this....
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