taken in August though. He just put his comments up, at least by the date at bottom of article
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Here are some specifics:
• Seven in 10 told us that Iraq would be a better country and that
they themselves would be better off in five years.
• Only two in five (39%) said that "democracy can work in Iraq,"
while a majority (51%) agreed that "democracy is a Western way of
doing things and will not work here." Shiites — who suffered the
most under Hussein and who make up the majority in Iraq — are
more evenly split about democracy (45%-46%), while Sunnis are
far less favorable.
• Asked about the kind of government that would be best for Iraq,
half of all respondents (49%) said they preferred "a democracy
with elected representatives guided by Sharia (Islamic law)."
Twenty-four percent prefer an "Islamic state ruled by clerics based
on Sharia." Only one in five (21%) preferred a "secular democracy
with elected representatives."
• Three out of five made it clear that they wanted Iraqis left alone
to work out a government for themselves, while only one in three
want the United States and Britain to "help make sure a fair
government is set up." Two out of three Iraqis — and seven in 10
Sunnis — want U.S. and British forces out of Iraq in a year.
• Three out of four Iraqis want the leaders of Hussein's Baath Party
punished. Osama bin Laden is viewed favorably by 36% and
unfavorably by 47%.
• Half of all Iraqis interviewed say the United States will hurt Iraq
over the next five years. Only 36% say the U.S. will help.
One thing is clear: The predicted euphoria of Iraqis has not
materialized.
Months after the U.S. military victory, American policymakers
and troops are left not only with the daunting task of
nation-building and restoring the country's devastated
infrastructure but also with having to win the hearts and minds of
Iraqis who are not keen on the U.S. occupation.
Iraqis, like their fellow Arabs, feel victimized by a history of
betrayal and humiliation at the hands of Western powers. It
appears that U.S. policymakers overlooked or misread this
sentiment.
(10/28/2003)
- By John Zogby, Los Angeles Times, Infoshop, The Muslim
American Society
http://www.zogby.com/