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Poll: Baghdad Residents Glad Saddam Gone
Rantburg knew this but CNN apparently doesnât.Most residents of Baghdad say that ousting Saddam Hussein was worth the hardships theyâve endured since then, says a Gallup poll that shows they are divided on whether the country is worse off or better off than before the U.S. invasion. Two-thirds, 67 percent, say they think that Iraq will be in better condition five years from now than it was before the U.S.-led invasion. Only 8 percent say they think it will be worse off. Buncha optimists!
Fair enough, lots of stuff is broken right now. The Gallup poll of 1,178 adults was conducted face to face in the respondentsâ household from Aug. 28 through Sept. 4 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Gallup plans to poll extensively in the coming months and years in Iraq and has established a center in Baghdad to coordinate the polling effort. The survey found that 62 percent think ousting Saddam was worth the hardships they have endured since the invasion. The other 38 percent were Baâath party functionaries and hangers-on. Six in 10 said they have a favorable view of the new Iraqi Governing Council, but most see its priorities as set by coalition authorities. Half said the coalition authorities are doing a better job now than two months ago, while 14 percent said they were doing a worse job. Richard Burkholder, head of the Gallup team in Baghdad, said residents of the city of more than 6 million were eager to talk with his researchers and most who were contacted agreed to be interviewed in their own homes. Gallup drew its sample from different neighborhoods throughout the capital. This is very good news even as it represents just one data point. People in Iraq have figured out what the media canât grasp. Posted by: Steve White 2003-09-24 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=19025 |