WH war rational comes as a surprise to Iraqis

[ivolsky]

According to Scott McClellan, the U.S. is building"a democratic, free, and peaceful future" for Iraq. This rhetoric plays well in the United States. (Well, not so much anymore, see the post below). But McClellan's proclamations would come as a surprise to many Iraqis. Only 5% of those polledin November of 2003, said they believed the United States invaded Iraq "to assist the Iraqi people," and only 1% believed it was to establish democracy there.

According to a USA TODAY/CNN/GALLUP poll take in April, 2004:

13% of Iraqis now say the invasion of Iraq was morally justifiable
11% of Iraqis say coalition forces are trying hard to restore basic services
58% say the soldiers conduct themselves badly or very badly
60% say the troops show disrespect for Iraqi people in searches of their homes
71% of all respondents say American troops are "occupiers."
57% say the foreign troops should leave anyway

The great disparity between the administration's rhetoric and how U.S. actions are perceived on the ground is telling, yet it is rarely reported by the press. Today, "at least 20 people were killed and 60 wounded in a rocket attack that struck a dining hall on a U.S. basein Mosul, Iraq." It has been called the deadliest single attack in Iraq. And as the election approaches, an obvious question arises: if the Iraqi security forces and American troops are unable to secure a military base, how would they be able to protect hundreds of polling stations?

more: www.politicalthought.net