Posted on 04/29/2003 2:00:19 PM PDT by moni kerr
NEW DELHI APRIL 29. NDTV brings you a world exclusive from Baghdad. Did the people of Iraq welcome the American troops or not? Does the ordinary Iraqi want the Americans to stay or go back now that Saddam Hussein is dethroned? If Saddam Hussein is found do the people of Iraq want to see him punished or not? Is this war all about oil or not?
With the embedded Western media being widely accused of bias there appear to be no reliable answers to many of these questions. In order to cut through the cacophony of opinions and views, NDTV conducted the first opinion poll in post-war Iraq. Our team questioned 1,000 people, men and women, young and old, in 25 different locations in Baghdad on April 22 and 23.
This opinion poll in fact is, according to the people of Iraq, the first ever opinion poll in a quarter of a century and fills a major information gap finally bringing to the world the true voice of 23 million Iraqi people, who were silenced for 25 years. The poll includes eight questions (including two on the attitude of Iraqis to India. India has historically supported Saddam Hussein).
The answers to two questions a day will be released over the next four days. The first question we asked was about the U.S. claim that American troops entered Iraq and fought a war to remove Saddam Hussein. We asked the people of Baghdad their view on whether America did the right thing or the wrong thing by entering Iraq? The results, shown in table one, show that a majority of people, 54 per cent, believe that America did the right thing. Only 32 percent of the Iraqis in the sample believe that the American invasion was wrong. A more detailed analysis shows that the older (over 40 years old) Iraqis tend to be more pro-American and anti-Saddam Hussein.
The next questions asked was "should the Americans now stay on and help re-build Iraq, or should they go back now?" The answer shows (see table 2) that a majority of Iraqis, 52 per cent, want the Americans to go back now while 43 per cent want the Americans to stay on. The narrow gap between the two views, 52 per cent vs. 43 per cent, is narrower than many reports coming out of Baghdad suggest and indicates that a sizable number of Iraqis want the Americans to stay on.
And clearly, while a large per cent of Muslims want the Americans to stay on, many more Christians in Baghdad want an American presence in Baghdad to help rebuild the devastated country.
The method: A six-member NDTV polling team led by Special Correspondents Ajai Shukla and Sanjay Ahirwal fanned out through the city of Baghdad, covering over 25 localities, meeting people of different religions and sects, men and women on the streets of Baghdad, people who were still trying to cope with all the death and destruction around them. A poll would have been unthinkable under Saddam Hussein and would have sparked off immediate arrests, perhaps even executions. But getting the polling underway was by no means an easy task.
In a city completely ravaged by war, with no power, water or food, getting even a photostat machine to get a copy of the questionnaire was a problem, not to mention the 1,000 copies that were needed for the exercise. But the problem was solved miraculously by our translator, Ahmed Khalid Hamdan, who took the help of an Indian company, PCP International Limited, which was made to open its premises, while our team provided power with a portable generator set.
The sample of 1,000 comprised 668 men and 332 women. While the overwhelming majority of Iraqis are Muslims, there is a significant proportion of Christians in Iraq and, in our poll, 12 per cent of the respondents were Christians. With a thousand questionnaires in hand, getting Iraqis to respond was the next big challenge. Having lived in silence for the last 25 years, the people were wary and suspicious of the entire exercise. Having lived in an environment where no dissent was tolerated, any attempt to explore public opinion was seen with fear. But in the end, the people of Baghdad spoke out, and spoke out loud and clear. For years, their voices have been stilled.
Now, this NDTV poll has finally given them a chance to be heard by the international community
This number really surprises me. One would have thought Saddams would have slaughtered the majority of Christians just for sport.
Be patient. As indicated in the article, the Iraqis in Baghdad are more than a bit nervous about being polled with the memory of Saddam's regime so strong. I think our polling numbers will improve as things improve in Iraq and the people see that we keep our promises and that we are not there to loot their country and steal their oil.
That's not great news, but it does make sense: people who remember Life Before Saddam are more likely to want to go back--the kids don't fully understand what they've been missing.
Considering all the lies they've been fed for years it seems many of them "get it already". I expect when they get a better feel for our presence they will grow to appreciate us even more.
What was your point in saying that?
I'm somewhat surprised but it doesn't matter what they think. Having come this far, we should try to install some stability and respect for human rights.
I think that the Shiites in the south think because they have the majority that they could install a Shite Regime if the US wasn't in their way.
And the Sunni's in the middle think that they could regain control if the US pulled out, because they historically have had control and have more resources than the other groups.
So between the two of them, and the fear that we will take their oil, or just stay forever and be their new masters, their are just over a majority that want us to leave. But the payroll checks just went out today, so...
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