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| New ABC/Times poll. Released 12/12/05 |
ETWolverine |
12/13/05 |
ABC and Time Magazine conducted a poll in Iraq. The results are rather surprising… at least to some.
Here are some of the highlights:
1) 71% of Iraqis feel that things are going well in their personal lives. On the downside, only 44% feel that things are going well for the country overall. However, 69% of Iraqis expect things for the country overall to improve in the next year. (Among Sunnis, that number is only 35%.)
2) Average salaries are $263 per month, up from an average of $164 per month in February 2004.
3) 57% of Iraqis support the idea of a Democracy as their form of government. In mixed population areas 75% support Democracy. In Kurdish areas 63% support Democracy. In Shiite areas, support for Democracy is 45%. In Sunni areas, only 38% support Democracy.
Interestingly, 64% support Democracy in Iraq for 5 years from now… including 55% of Sunnis.
4) Here is a breakdown of Shiite vs. Sunni opinions:
Own life good: Shiite: 86%, Sunni 43%
Things going well in Iraq: Shiite 53%, Sunni 9%
The USA was right to invade: Shiite 59%, Sunni 7%
Feel very safe: Shiite: 80%, Sunni 11%
Approve of the new Constitution: Shiite 82%, Sunni 27%
Confidence in the Iraqi army: Shiite 87%, Sunni 37%.
The contrast between the two groups is pretty stark, and it is clear that the Sunnis, who lost the most in the post-Saddam environment, are dragging down the poll numbers from other groups.
5) Local conditions in Iraq - % saying good. (Numbers in parenthesis are from a February 2004 poll)
Schools: 74% (72%)
Crime protection: 66% (53%)
Medical Care: 62% (51%)
Security: 61% (49%)
Clean water: 58% (50%)
Electricity: 45% (35%)
Jobs: 38% (26%)
6) Women’s rights: % in favor.
Voting: 99%
As doctors: 99%
Driving: 84%
In national assembly: 80% (among Sunnis: 62%)
As governors: 51% (among Sunnis: 22%)
As president: 46% (among Sunnis: 21%)
As mukhtar (religious leader): 38% (among Sunnis: 6%)
7) Roughly half of Iraqis feel that US troops should stay in Iraq for some time. 31% say that they should remain until security is restored, 16% say they should stay until the Iraqi security forces can operate independently, and 5% say that they should stay longer. Only 26% say that US forces should pull out immediately, and another 19% say that they should pull out after the new government being elected this week takes office.
The full results of the poll can be found at http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/1000a1IraqWhereThingsStand.pdf
The facts on the ground seem to be somewhat different than what John Murtha, Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden and others on the left would have us believe. Contrary to what Murtha has claimed, 80% of Iraqis do not want the USA to pull out immediately. Contrary to what Kennedy and others have said, the Iraqis see improvement in their situations, and expect further improvements in the coming year. The majority see the advantages that Democracy has to offer and want a piece of that pie. Only a quarter of the population (mostly Sunnis) wants an immediate pullout of US troops.
Don’t believe the rhetoric from the left. There is no quagmire, there has been significant progress, and there is optimism about the future in Iraq. Overall, an exceptional set of poll results. And especially exceptional considering who put the poll out in the first place. ABC and Time Magazine are not exactly known for their strong pro-war stances.
Elliot |
Clarification/Follow-up by kindj on 12/13/05 3:57 pm:
Nah, I'm just messing with you.
This poll simply backs up what I've always said, namely that better information comes from "those on the ground" than from those in press offices.
DK
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