WorldPublicOpinion.org

Today PIPA, the organization I work for, has released a poll of Iraqis. The
poll was conducted earlier this month in Iraq and the results are what many
may have expected. Go to our website WorldPublicOpinion.org for the
article, questionnaire and full report.

Some choice findings.

71% of Iraqis want the US to gradually withdraw its troops within one year.
This number includes a strong majority of both Shias (74%) and Sunnis (91%).
Not to leave out any major ethnic/religious groups, an overwhelming 91% of
all Iraqis support the US leaving within two years, including a majority of
Kurds (79%). Only 9% of Iraqis want the US to stay until the security
situation stabilizes.

78% of Iraqis think the US is provoking more conflict than it is preventing.
Only 21% think the US is a stabilizing force. 77% of Iraqis think the US
plans to have permanent bases and 78% think the US would refuse to leave if
asked.

In addition, 79% of Iraqis think the US is a mostly negative influence in
Iraq. worse than their impressions of Iran (52% negative) and Syria (55%
negative). More Iraqis have a favorable view of Hezbollah (62% favorable).

Iraqis are also not confident that US military forces can protect their
security, with 84% having little or no confidence in US military forces.
Only 16% have a lot or some confidence. By contrast, Iraqis have more
confidence in the Iraqi police (71% some or a lot), Iraqi army (64%) and
Iraqi Interior Ministry forces (62%).

Because they do not perceive the US as willing to leave, 61% of Iraqis
support attacks against US troops, including a majority of both Sunnis (92%)
and Shias (62%). Only Kurds do not favor attacks against the US. This
finding is up dramatically from January when 47% of Iraqis favored attacks
against the US. The big difference? Though Sunni support for attacks is
unchanged, support for attacks among Shias has risen dramatically from 41%
in January to 62% in the most recent poll.