Iraq: polls suggest growing discontent

IssueApril 2007
News by Milan Rai

A number of polls have been conducted in Iraq to mark the fourth anniversary of the invasion, demonstrating enormous and growing hostility to the occupation.

An ORB poll found 53% of Iraqis think things would improve immediately after US/UK withdrawal, and only 26% fear conditions would get worse.

The BBC found that 76% think the occupation forces are doing a “bad job” (up from 59% just last year); and 78% oppose the US-led forces (up from 65% in 2005). The proportion of Iraqis finding it acceptable to attack the occupation forces has tripled from 17% (2004) to 51% (2007).

Spinning the polls

The mainstream media focus on the finding that 63% of those in the BBC poll favoured US/UK forces remaining in Iraq for the time being - “until security is restored”. But the same poll found 79% of Iraqis think that the presence of US forces is either making the security situation worse (69%) or having “no effect” on the security situation (10%).

The phrasing of the question obscures the fact that a previous nationwide poll by PIPA in September found over 70% of Iraqis want US/UK forces out within the year, and over 90% want them out within two years.

Poll results can be found at tinyurl.com/369wbr (ORB), tinyurl.com/3bb58z (BBC), and tinyurl.com/ozrjn (PIPA).

Topics: Iraq