What Iraqis Want

There has been a great deal of talk about America's needs and aspirations in Iraq and rightfully so.  We are expending a massive amount of American lives and American resources in that unfortunate land.  However, we should also be interested in what regular Iraqis want.  We have often been told that Iraqis want democracy.  Do they?  Here's our chance to find out what Iraqis want.  An opinion poll commissioned by the BBC and other major media groups has provided a revealing insight into the everyday lives, hopes and fears of people living in Iraq.  The poll interviewed 2,212 people, from 450 neighborhoods, in all 18 Iraqi provences.  The error rate is 2.5%. Here's some of the data.

43% of Iraqis say then want a democracy.  That figure is down from the last poll which showed 58%.  Many Iraqis, today, say they prefer a strong man as ruler.  Someone like Saddam, although most probably would not want him back, even if that were possible. 

A majority say they prefer a unified Iraq, but a larger majority predict that Iraq will eventually break up into three separate states. (Sunni, Shia, and Kurd.)

Are attacks on American forces justified?

51 % of shiites say yes.   94% of Sunnis say yes.   7% of Kurds say yes.

Do you support or oppose the presence of American forces in Iraq?  83% shiites they oppose, 97% of Sunnis oppose, 25% of Kurds oppose.

75% of Iraqis say the presence of U.S. forces make their security situation worse. 

American forces should leave Iraq:    Immediately 35% ... within one year 71%.

So the conclusion we can get from this is that most Iraqi don't want us in their country and feel our forces are doing more harm than good.  Bush promised to bring democracy to Iraq, but most Iraqis don't seem to want security more than democracy.  Our nation has given thousands of American lives, tens of thousands wounded, and billions of dollars in this effort and people we are told we went there to save, don't want to be saved.  Now, how about that. 

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