-- Iraqis who say U.S. troops should leave immediately (defined as the next few months): 57%
-- Iraqis who say U.S. troops are "occupiers" rather than "liberators": 71%
-- Iraqis who say the U.S. invasion is doing more good than harm: 33%
-- Iraqis who say U.S. troops are not trying at all to prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths to ordinary Iraqis during exchanges of gunfire: 67% (81% in Baghdad)
Here's a link to USA Today's story about this poll.
Here is a table of key findings of this USA Today poll.
And here at home:
-- Americans who approve of the way Bush is handling his job: 46% (47% disapprove)
-- Americans who say the country has "gotten off on the wrong track": 55% (36% say it's on the right track)
-- Americans who disapprove of the way Bush is handling foreign policy: 51% (40% approve)
-- Americans who disapprove of his handling of the war in Iraq: 52% (41% approve)
-- Americans who believe the war is making the U.S. image worse in the Arab world: 71%
-- Americans who think the Iraq war was not worth the cost in lives and money: 58%
-- Americans who think U.S. troops should leave as soon as possible: 46% (a tie with those who think they should stay as long as it takes to make sure Iraq is a stable democracy).
The New York Time story on this poll, conducted with CBS, is here. For statistical breakdowns and historical comparisons, click on the "Interactive Feature" link. The CBS story on the poll is here.
The USA Today poll is noteworthy because it is the largest such survey yet conducted of Iraqis (more than 3,400) and drew 98 percent agreement among those who were asked to participate. Because of the large number polled, the survey has a margin of error of about 2%. And it says most Iraqis want us to leave now, a very large majority views us as occupiers rather than liberators and more think we're doing harm than good. Americans' views are shifting toward those of the Iraqis, according to the New York Times/CBS poll.
The Iraqis polled by USA Today did have some good things to say about the U.S. ousting Saddam Hussein. Of those polled, 51% said they and their families were better off, compared with 25% who said they were worse off. And most said the hardships connected with the invasion were worth enduring. But we've worn out our welcome
"I'm not ungrateful that they took away Saddam Hussein," says Salam Ahmed, 30, a Shiite businessman. "But the job is done. Thank you very much. See you later. Bye-bye."
Who would know better than the Iraqis what's best for them? So why doesn't President Bush take advantage of the first anniversary of Mission Accomplished Day this Saturday to say "Mission Accomplished" and actually mean it? The handover of some authority to Iraqis is scheduled for June 30. In addition to seeing that that happens – which Bush has pledged he will – the U.S. should develop a plan for withdrawing and implement it. The longer we stay where we aren't wanted the more damage we do to our interests in the area, to our own military and to the Iraqis, who certainly deserve an opportunity to work out their own problems. We can't be sure they'll succeed, at least as we define it. But that's one of the hazards of freedom. You get to make mistakes.
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