On The Fifth Aveversery of OIF, Here's A Poll That You Probably Won't See

[Axxman300]

This is from the Times UK, a liberal-left type newspaper:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1530762.ece

I had to pick my jaw up off of th floor.

[vistadelrey]

good read. I've heard similar from other sources. I really wonder what the truth is over there. It wouldn't surprise me at all if things were much better than what the left wants you to think.

[darthadv]

what's amazing is how many of the opinions of the posted readers' comments are from americans for a uk web poll... and how polarized people are being about liberal vs. conservative... the bottom-line is that it sounds like the iraqi people are saying that they are ready to move on and have outside forces leave their country... i don't see why this has to be a negative thing for either major american political party: you can have it both ways - mission accomplished, and our forces get to come home since they're apparently not needed there, a little of what both parties want...

i know i'm oversimplifying, but the bottom-line of why we went into iraq was to (a) find saddam's supposed hidden weapons and to (b) get saddam... we found (a) to not be true and accomplished (b)... how's that 'let's find osama' mission going? the focus was first on him and somehow shifted to saddam... whatever, bring our men and women back...

[Axxman300]

See, if Bush is smart (heh) then he can point to this poll and re-deploy our guys out of Bagdhad and away from trouble. Then he can cut the force in half and keep enough combat forces in the area as a QRF to back up the INA. He could do this by October.

If he's smart....

[Charvel2]

The Times is liberal-left? That's news to me (and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, I expect).

[voivod]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/...war/index.html

[MF5150]

Okay guys it's time for that 20 million dollar Mission Accomplished party!

I'm a Canadian so what do I know.

[graeme]

Got to say firstly that "The Times" would never be considered a liberal paper. It is however, one of the best broadsheets in Europe/The world.

This poll, as the disclaimer pointed out at the bottom of the article, is highly questionable, being as it goes against al others.

The BBC and ABC in the US have just conducted a joint poll, the resultsbeing shown on the news as I type.

Here are some of the key figures:

75% say they do not feel safe
82% have little or no confidence in our troops
50% say attacks on our troops are, insome cases, justified
33% say the coalition should go immediately
94% say they do not want Iraq divided up, which they see happening
17% say security has improved recently
25% have had a family member murdered
50% say they do not believe they are in a civil war

Now I know surveys are never accurate, taking into account the number and demographic of the respondents and also the wording of the questions can dramatically alter figures from a subtle perspective shift.

What is NOT in doubt is that the Iraqi people are not happy with their situation. Things have gone badly (euphemism for catastrophically) and there doesn't seem to be anything good coming soon.

I felt this way when it all kicked off and I still feel strongly about this now.

I have friends over there and we are seeing a fellow linker Wray headed there soon. They are doing a difficult, nay, impossible job bravely but they shouldn't have to go in the first place.

When the dust settles, the idiots who arranged this genocidal cash grab will be held to account. Unfortunately, by the time the dust settles they will all be very old or dead.

And regarding surveys I would say: turn on the TV and turn down the sound (to avoid ridiculous bias as much as possible) and just watch these poor people - would you want to live there?

Bottom line: As things stand, and have for four years, life under Saddam's regime was safer and the standard of living higher.

And it was bad under him. We have not improved their lot.

[Axxman300]

Here's the ABC version:

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles...19081409990001

[Axxman300]

The fact that the two polls are so different should be a giant red flag.

Iraqis are notorious for telling people what they want to hear. You know, things like "No, we're not going to invade Kuwait, it's just an exercise", "Yes, Saddam has WMDs, I saw them myself".

We should stick to invading Central American countries, the food's better.

[graeme]

The fact that the two polls are so different should be a giant red flag.

Iraqis are notorious for telling people what they want to hear. You know, things like "No, we're not going to invade Kuwait, it's just an exercise", "Yes, Saddam has WMDs, I saw them myself".

We should stick to invading Central American countries, the food's better.

Hey Ax, don't forget that the lies about Kuwait and WMD's were either by the administration or by exiles hoping to save their lives and get a nice free house somewhere outside the war zone.

This was supposed to be "normal" Iraqis on the street.

Polls always vary but the majority back up the BBC/ABC one: ie. They are not happy.

However, agreed. If you absolutely, positively get the unshakable itch to try out some new weapons, always, always do a country with good food and, might I add, decent women and beer.

I feel an invasion of Sweden is imminent.

It's that IKEA ( Irreversible Karmic European Adjustment) guy: he's got too damned powerful. He's already permeated our homes with his flat-packs and god knows what kind of surveillance they have installed in the new Saab. They're just too quiet, they must be hiding something. They're just looming over Europe, waiting and biding their time and the prophecies show Sweden will be (anagram) "de news". Also, don't they have the second biggest air force in the world?

Better take 'em down.

[Axxman300]

IKEA is just cause for an invasion in anybody's book.

The problem is that the Swedish actually make some of the finest weapons in the world, like the Bofors goodies. Nobody calls them on it either, Kipper-eating bastards.

[Axxman300]

http://www.slate.com/id/2162157/?GT1=9231

graeme, here's a great column by Christopher Hitchens.