It's been a really long time since the Wall Street Journal and Tricky Dick were pimping AEI-sponsored polls showing how much Iraqis love the American occupation of their country. For good reason, since, according to CPA staffer Donald Hamilton, "generally speaking, the trend is downward."
No one should ever accuse the CPA folks -- or at least Donald Hamilton -- of not having have a sense of humor. According to the latest poll conducted for the occupation, "80 percent of the Iraqis questioned reported a lack of confidence in the Coalition Provisional Authority, and 82 percent said they disapprove of the U.S. and allied militaries in Iraq."
Combine this poll with last week's Independent poll (55% of Brits in favor of pullout), and the recent NYT/CBS poll (46% of Americans in favor of a pullout), and I think I see a solution here.
posted by dackNever fear, though, as, "It bears repeating that winning Iraqi hearts and minds was never a necessary precondition to accomplishing our real goal of stability in the region. Iraqis just needed to be convinced that we were strong enough to prevail and it would behoove them to go along." (Granted, this is only some schmuck no-name columnist that said this, but I presume she learnt it from Rush Limbaugh, who in turn learnt it from Scott McClellan.)
By the way, Dack, the link to the Independent poll is incorrect. At any rate, it may be out-of-date: according to a story in today's Chicago Tribune, "...fresh opinion polls indicate only 28 percent of Britons think their troops should remain in Iraq."
We know - and they know - the Bushies aren't going to budge. Although I pray it doesn't happen, methinks the conditions are ripe for a "spectacular" attack to close the deal, a la Tet.
Posted by: Sven on May 13, 2004 10:41 PMSome choice comments by our president:
I expect them to be treated, the POWs, I expect to be treated humanely, just like we're treating the prisoners that we have captured humanely. If not, the people who mistreat the prisoners will be treated as war criminals.
-George W. Bush, 3/23/2003
As the vise tightens on the Iraqi regime, some of our enemies have chosen to fill their final days with acts of cowardice and murder. In combat, Saddam's thugs shield themselves with women and children. They have killed Iraqi citizens who welcome coalition troops, and they have forced other Iraqis into battle by threatening to torture or kill their families. They have executed prisoners of war, waged attacks under the white flag of truce, and concealed combat forces in civilian neighborhoods, schools, hospitals and mosques. In
this war, the Iraqi regime is terrorizing its own citizens, doing everything possible to maximize Iraqi civilian casualties, and then to exploit the deaths they have caused for propaganda. These are war criminals, and they'll be treated as war criminals. In stark contrast, the citizens of Iraq are coming to know what kind of people we have sent to liberate them.
-George W. Bush, 4/6/2003