Dave
09-11-2007, 10:13 PM
A very powerful piece today from the nationally recognized David Yepsen. He is generally considered somewhat conservative for a news reporter so this article packs some punch. Here's the link or read it below:
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070911/OPINION01/709110361/1036
Yepsen: Iraqi people give their own report - U.S. should go
By DAVID YEPSEN
REGISTER POLITICAL COLUMNIST
September 11, 2007
A new poll released Monday shows that despite any successes from a troop surge, a plurality of Iraqis want the United States to get out of their country - and a growing majority finds attacks on U.S. forces acceptable.
Such findings are a whole lot more compelling than anything Gen. David Petraeus is reporting. We can debate the future of Iraq all we want, but it's not our country. It's theirs.
Despite their troubles, a growing number of them wants us to leave.
About all Petraeus' report to Congress seems to be doing is reinforcing the biases people already had about the war. Everyone is picking and choosing.
You don't hear a lot of Democrats saying, "Darn. I was wrong. The surge is working, and we've got to finish the job." And you don't hear a lot of Republicans saying, "We've got to get everybody out now."
That's why the Iraq poll, done by ABC News/BBC/NHK is a whole lot more persuasive in giving the United States a sense of direction. The poll involved face-to-face interviews with 2,212 randomly selected Iraqis Aug. 17 to 24, and the bottom line is we're not wanted there anymore.
It shows Iraqis disapprove of the American military, the surge and their own government and future. More than three-fourths of them say the U.S. presence has made no difference in the security situation or has made it worse.
The networks find little good news to report, including "deepening dissatisfaction with conditions in Iraq, lower ratings for the national government and growing rejection of the U.S. role there."
- "Six in 10 Iraqis say the security situation has worsened since the surge began. Only one in 10 sees improvement."
- "The big picture remains bleak. Six in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going badly, and even more, 78 percent say things are going badly for the country overall - up 13 points from last winter."
- "More than six in 10 now call the U.S.-led invasion of their country wrong, up from 52 percent last winter. Fifty-seven percent call violence against U.S. forces acceptable, up six points. And despite the uncertainties of what might follow, 47 percent now favor the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq - a 12-point rise."
According to the National Journal's "Polltrack" analysis of the report, "despite their belief that things are not improving in their country, nearly half stated that coalition troops should leave the country now, rather than wait for the situation to stabilize. Only 15 percent expressed confidence in the U.S. and U.K. occupation forces, while about 20 percent blamed the U.S. military for the enduring violence in their country.
"Indicating a growing sense of hopelessness among the Iraqi people, 77 percent said that they expect things in the country to be the same or worse one year from now, up 17 points from a similar survey conducted in March."
"Only 23 percent of Iraqis report effective reconstruction efforts in their local area - down by 10 points in the past six months."
The numbers are sobering. Regardless of what we Americans think, the Iraqis have had enough. Regardless of what may happen to them when we're gone, they want us out. Regardless of our sacrifice, they don't seem to appreciate it anymore.
The poll undercuts the argument the surge is doing some good. To generals gathering data, it may be improving, but to Iraqis living on the ground, it's not.
For whatever good we did, for whatever sacrifice our military people have made, we're just not welcome there.
Those who argue we should never surrender or that we should stay the course need to explain how it is the people we're supposed to be helping don't really see it that way anymore.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070911/OPINION01/709110361/1036
Yepsen: Iraqi people give their own report - U.S. should go
By DAVID YEPSEN
REGISTER POLITICAL COLUMNIST
September 11, 2007
A new poll released Monday shows that despite any successes from a troop surge, a plurality of Iraqis want the United States to get out of their country - and a growing majority finds attacks on U.S. forces acceptable.
Such findings are a whole lot more compelling than anything Gen. David Petraeus is reporting. We can debate the future of Iraq all we want, but it's not our country. It's theirs.
Despite their troubles, a growing number of them wants us to leave.
About all Petraeus' report to Congress seems to be doing is reinforcing the biases people already had about the war. Everyone is picking and choosing.
You don't hear a lot of Democrats saying, "Darn. I was wrong. The surge is working, and we've got to finish the job." And you don't hear a lot of Republicans saying, "We've got to get everybody out now."
That's why the Iraq poll, done by ABC News/BBC/NHK is a whole lot more persuasive in giving the United States a sense of direction. The poll involved face-to-face interviews with 2,212 randomly selected Iraqis Aug. 17 to 24, and the bottom line is we're not wanted there anymore.
It shows Iraqis disapprove of the American military, the surge and their own government and future. More than three-fourths of them say the U.S. presence has made no difference in the security situation or has made it worse.
The networks find little good news to report, including "deepening dissatisfaction with conditions in Iraq, lower ratings for the national government and growing rejection of the U.S. role there."
- "Six in 10 Iraqis say the security situation has worsened since the surge began. Only one in 10 sees improvement."
- "The big picture remains bleak. Six in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going badly, and even more, 78 percent say things are going badly for the country overall - up 13 points from last winter."
- "More than six in 10 now call the U.S.-led invasion of their country wrong, up from 52 percent last winter. Fifty-seven percent call violence against U.S. forces acceptable, up six points. And despite the uncertainties of what might follow, 47 percent now favor the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq - a 12-point rise."
According to the National Journal's "Polltrack" analysis of the report, "despite their belief that things are not improving in their country, nearly half stated that coalition troops should leave the country now, rather than wait for the situation to stabilize. Only 15 percent expressed confidence in the U.S. and U.K. occupation forces, while about 20 percent blamed the U.S. military for the enduring violence in their country.
"Indicating a growing sense of hopelessness among the Iraqi people, 77 percent said that they expect things in the country to be the same or worse one year from now, up 17 points from a similar survey conducted in March."
"Only 23 percent of Iraqis report effective reconstruction efforts in their local area - down by 10 points in the past six months."
The numbers are sobering. Regardless of what we Americans think, the Iraqis have had enough. Regardless of what may happen to them when we're gone, they want us out. Regardless of our sacrifice, they don't seem to appreciate it anymore.
The poll undercuts the argument the surge is doing some good. To generals gathering data, it may be improving, but to Iraqis living on the ground, it's not.
For whatever good we did, for whatever sacrifice our military people have made, we're just not welcome there.
Those who argue we should never surrender or that we should stay the course need to explain how it is the people we're supposed to be helping don't really see it that way anymore.