Iraq Poll

A recent poll requested by the Coalition Provisional Authority has some pretty disheartening results. Granted the poll is somewhat skewed because the Kurds were not included, but in another way it makes it more important, since the Kurds are known to be firmly in the US camp and very grateful to the US. The poll shows that the vast majority of the rest of Iraqis have a very poor view of the CPA - a favorable rating of just 11%, while coalition forces received a favorable rating of just 10%. Additionally 92% of Iraqis view coalition forces as occupiers, and just 2% view them as liberators.

Its difficult to make out what this really means. Has the US really lost the window of opportunity of the good will of Iraqis, as Andrew Sullivan believes? Or is this merely an expression of frustration of the continuing problematic security?

Another way to look at this is that the Iraqis are now feeling a lot more confident in themselves and their future government, and therefore don't want or think they need US troops there any more. More interesting will be the polls a few months after the handover of power to the Interim Iraqi Government.