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"Huh? Frontpage says that it's a stretch to conclude that the Iraqis "know" much of anything from that poll. Moreover, it stands in stark contrast to other polls that say that they "want us out" but that they "want security," meaning us. "

People always know their own personal situation better than anything else. They know that their personal security would be harmed by coalition leaving right away, so they want us to stay.

The belief of some Iraqis in the negative 'spin' is a concern, but with the Kurd/arab split, you clearly see that 10 years of liberation from Saddam as created a vastly different world view of those who've not been liberated until last year.

"Face it: we're gonna stay; we're gonna win; and in the end we'll probably have a decent ally in the region, much like Kharzai in Afghanistan."

Correct.

Well, I do think the article is right in that in cultures that still don't get their info from even QUASI-"unbiased" media, or alternative media, it's a tough fight. And there are quirks in the Arab culture related to the role of rumor, etc. Still, you make a good point about the Kurds. If for no other reason, we need to find out once and for all if Arabic Islam and democracy are compatible. If they are, great. If not, we need to know that---but to find that out, we have to do a little work there for a while.