Free Republic

DESPITE sectarian slaughter, ethnic cleansing and suicide bombs, an opinion poll conducted on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq has found a striking resilience and optimism among the inhabitants. The poll, the biggest since coalition troops entered Iraq on March 20, 2003, shows that by a majority of two to one, Iraqis prefer the current leadership to Saddam Hussein’s regime, regardless of the security crisis and a lack of public services. The survey, published today, also reveals that contrary to the views of many western analysts, most Iraqis do not believe they are embroiled...

Pessimism 'growing among Iraqis' Iraqis have become less optimistic about their future, the poll suggests A new survey paints a pessimistic picture of Iraqis' confidence in their own government and in coalition forces.Only 18% of Iraqis have confidence in US and coalition troops, while opinion is almost evenly split on whether to have confidence in Iraq's government. About 86% of those questioned expressed concern about someone in their household being a victim of violence. More than 2,000 people were polled for the study, which was commissioned by the BBC, ABC News, ARD and USA Today. The survey was conducted...

A battle abroad and at homePresident Bush bucked public opinion and advice from the Iraq Study Group when he ordered 21,500 more U.S. combat troops to Iraq as part of his plan to reverse the deteriorating course of the war.The idea was to secure Baghdad and tamp down sectarian violence, allowing reconstruction to proceed and, eventually, Iraqi security troops to take over.Critics, including many retired high-ranking Army officers, say more troops aren't the answer. Other experts say more forces will help only if the deployment is coupled with a political plan that forces compromises by Iraq's warring Shiite and Sunni...

BAGHDAD (AP) - 0318dv-iraq-latest Sunni insurgents, resilient despite the five-week security crackdown in the capital, killed at least six more U.S. troops over the weekend. A Sunni car bomber hit a largely Shiite district in the capital Sunday, killing at least eight people. The American military said four U.S. soldiers died and one was wounded when the unit was struck by a roadside bomb in western Baghdad. During the ongoing security sweep in the capital and surrounding regions, the soldiers' battalion had found eight weapons caches and two roadside bombs and helped rescue a kidnap victim, the military said. A...