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AL QAEDA LOST HEARTS AND MINDS IN IRAQ
George Mason Poll ^ | Sept 27, 2006 | None

Posted on 09/27/2006 7:28:48 PM PDT by sgtyork

Al Qaeda has desicively lost the Iraqi battlefield.

Overall 94 percent have an unfavorable view of al Qaeda, with 82 percent expressing a very unfavorable view. Of all organizations and individuals assessed in this poll, it received the most negative ratings. The Shias and Kurds show similarly intense levels of opposition, with 95 percent and 93 percent respectively saying they have very unfavorable views. The Sunnis are also quite negative, but with less intensity. Seventy-seven percent express an unfavorable view, but only 38 percent are very unfavorable. Twenty-three percent express a favorable view (5% very).

Views of Osama bin Laden are only slightly less negative. Overall 93 percent have an unfavorable view, with 77 percent very unfavorable. Very unfavorable views are expressed by 87 percent of Kurds and 94 percent of Shias. Here again, the Sunnis are negative, but less unequivocally—71 percent have an unfavorable view (23% very), and 29 percent a favorable view (3% very).

Iraqi confidence in Iraqi forces (as opposed to militias) is increasing while its confidence in US forces is decreasing. Given US policies there can be little doubt but that US forces have lost significant Shia support and gained some Sunni support. I suspect increasing number of Shia no longer believe that American forces are capable of protecting them and with increased confidence in their government's capabilities no longer fear the consequences of an American withdrawal.

It should be noted that Ayatolla Sistani retains his overwhelming popularity amongst the Shia. 95% approve of him. PM Maliki is running a strong second with 86% but al Sadr is trailing far behind with 51%. Nor are Iraqis interested in following Iran's lead.

Asked whether Iran is having a mostly positive or negative influence on the situation in Iraq, just 45 percent of Shias say it is having a positive influence (negative 28%, neutral 27%), while Iran’s influence is viewed a mostly negative by the Kurds (79%) and the Sunnis (94%).

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad does a bit better among Shias, with 64 percent having a very (28%) or somewhat (36%) favorable view. But Kurds have a largely unfavorable view (very 43%, somewhat 34%) and the Sunnis an exceedingly unfavorable view (very 80%, somewhat 17%).

Syria is fairing even worse:

Most Shias (68%) think Syria is having a negative influence on Iraq’s situation, as do most Kurds (63%). Sunnis are only mildly positive, with 41 percent having a favorable view (17% negative, 43% neutral).

The most worrisome is the popularity of Hezbollah though luckily it is confined to the Shia.

Hezbollah elicits highly polarized views. An overwhelming 91 percent of Shias have a very (50%) or somewhat favorable (41%) view of Hezbollah, while an equally large 93 percent of Kurds have a very (64%) or somewhat (29%) unfavorable view. Sunnis are also fairly negative, with 59 percent having a very (10%) or somewhat (49%) unfavorable view.

To sum up - Iraq is coming along better than the news project. Indeed, more and more Iraqis believe that they will be soon ready to stand on their own two feet. This optimistic assessment may to a large degree reflect their disappointment in the efficacy of the American forces but, all in all it is a positive development.

Do remember this when you read headlines accurately reporting that "most Iraqis Want US Troops Out Within a Year and Say US Presence Provoking More Conflict Than it is Preventing."


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alqueda; globaljihad; iraq; iraqipoll
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To: Steve Van Doorn

That is because we are fighting Shia militias today. That has caused us to lose Shia support.


41 posted on 09/27/2006 10:52:27 PM PDT by jmc1969
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To: jmc1969

that is a good point thank you.


42 posted on 09/27/2006 10:56:32 PM PDT by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* “I love you guys”)
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To: pissant

Don't know what age you are, but I can't even begin to imagine what would have happened if the sort of BS that's being pulled by the Lefties and the MSM had been tried during WWII. I know that change is inevitable and the organism and organizations that survive it are those who can see it coming and develop a plan to handle it. I fear my America is not doing well at either seeing or handling it. It's a very complicated scenario, but in my mind it started when the schools quit teaching at every level that America is the greatest country on God's green Earth and began to teach that not only were we not superior in most ways among the governments and peoples of the world but the other system was equally good. That change is the basis for the "Blame America First" movement that is part and parcel of the way we are being forced to fight a war that will decide the very survival of our way of life.


43 posted on 09/28/2006 5:19:24 AM PDT by jwparkerjr
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To: Hong Kong Expat; Dog; Always Right; SandRat; Gucho; jmc1969

You don't get banned for false comments, you get corrected. So far you are 0 for 2.

Here is the refutation for your viewpoint that the Iraqis are worse off and living through a "genocide":

Unlike Murtha, Iraqis Say They Are Better Off Today

Despite the latest rantings from liberal antiwar hawk John Murtha that "There’s not only no progress, it’s worse than it was prewar," accusations that continually get a free pass from the media, Iraqis feel much differently.

Recent scientific samplings of Iraqi opinion confirms the benefits of the US-led regime change.

To give one relevant example, a recent Brookings Institute report on Iraq, shows the majority (yes, that means more than 50%) of Iraqis are living fairly safe and secure lives:

"Insurgent attacks tended to be concentrated (85%) in 4 of 18 provinces. These provinces contain less than 42% of the Iraqi population. Half of the Iraqi population (12 provinces) lives in areas that experience 6% of all attacks. 6 provinces listed a statistically insignificant number of attacks based on population size. 80% of all attacks are directed towards Coalition Forces. 80% of all casualties are suffered by the Iraqi population."

Moreover, that same report shows most Iraqis still say that they are better off now than before the invasion.

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/06/unlike-murtha-iraqis-say-they-are.html

Since you are wrong wrong wrong about the lives of Iraqi's, you should also admit you are wrong about war crimes!

Its probably hard to get good information in Hong Kong. Keep coming to Free Republic, we'll get you good information.


44 posted on 09/28/2006 5:31:45 PM PDT by sgtyork (Prove to us that you can enforce the borders first.)
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To: sgtyork

You misread what I wrote.

There isn't a genocide going on in Iraq right now, but if the US leaves before a solution is reached a genocide will take place.

And if the Bush administration leads the retreat, they should be treated as war criminals.


45 posted on 09/28/2006 6:36:56 PM PDT by Hong Kong Expat
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To: sgtyork
AL QAEDA LOST HEARTS AND MINDS IN IRAQ

From Bagdad to Fallujah, by and large, Iraq was done right.

46 posted on 09/28/2006 6:44:37 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: Hong Kong Expat
There isn't a genocide going on in Iraq right now, but if the US leaves before a solution is reached a genocide will take place.

You are so sure a genocide will take place?

BTW we will leave when the number of Iraqi forces can protect all the people of the country.

47 posted on 09/28/2006 6:51:22 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: FreeReign

Yes.

There are too many potential problems. There are strong factions in the three groups who think they should either have their own country or control the other two groups as well.

The Kurds in the North have their own version of Hezbollah attacking Turkey, Iran and Russia. Iran, Turkey and Russia have no problem turning Northern Iraq into a glass parking lot.
Saddam "encouraged" Sunni and Shia to move to Kurdish controled territories, so the possibility of neighborhood genocides are quite possible.
The Shia don't have any control over any of the oil fields, they'll fight to the death to get their fair share.
The Sunnis want payback.

To show you how screwed up the middle east is:
The US' best hope is Iran.
Iran wants Iraq to be a problem for the US because it limits our options in the world. But they really don't want Iraq to fall apart, because of refugees. And they don't want that to happen.


48 posted on 09/28/2006 7:41:02 PM PDT by Hong Kong Expat
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To: claptrap
Have any of you noticed the Arabs as a whole are very interested in carbombing, torture with drills, killing children and their mothers at the market.

No I haven't. Where have you noticed this?

49 posted on 09/30/2006 12:08:06 PM PDT by Valin (http://www.irey.com/)
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