Today, the Program on International Policy Attitudes is releasing a new World Public Opinion poll on Iraqi public opinion.
Here are the poll results.
Among the findings:
The poll has found that 80% of Iraqis believe that the U.S. plans to have permanent military bases in Iraq.
76% thought America would not withdraw if asked. 70% want Americans to be asked to withdraw in a time-line from within six months to two years.
47% of all Iraqis approve of attacks on US-led forces in Iraq.
If the Kurds were exluded from counting, then by TWN‘s estimation, 62% of Iraqis would support attacks that target American troops.
64% of Iraqis believe that violent crimes and attacks will decrease when the United States withdraws.
a majority would prefer the UN, rather than the US, to oversee Iraq’s reconstruction
Sunnis and Shia are deeply divided over whether the recent election was legitimate and fair
As an aside, I was with General Brent Scowcroft last night and discussed his powerful and well-reported comments at the New America Foundation a year ago — that Iraq may very well be entering a period of incipient civil war.
From these numbers, it doesn’t look like the circumstances Scowcroft was diagnosing have changed a bit — even after a full year of American efforts to turn things around.
— Steve Clemons
