Iraqis Want Americans To Stay

The US-led administration is changing its plans

Iraq is a mysterious country indeed, something happens there every day. The world media have been trying to find out, who organizes attacks on US forces, where Saddam Hussein is staying and where the weapons of mass destruction are hidden. News agencies continue reporting actions of protest among the Iraqi people, who demand the withdrawal of occupation forces. However, as it turns out, only 17 percent of Iraqis want Americans and their allies leave. It would be rather logic to assume that the rest of them do not share that point of view.

This is the result of the first opinion poll in the history of the "free Iraq." The poll was ordered by the Iraqi Strategic Research Center. The German Der Spiegel magazine reported, more than one thousand Baghdad residents took part in the poll, representing all layers of the Iraqi society and religious confessions. According to the poll, 51 percent of Iraqi people (or maybe, Baghdad residents?) want occupation troops to stay in Iraq until the constant government is formed. Twenty-five percent of Iraqis want their presence until the establishment of the interim government, and only 17 percent insist on the immediate withdrawal of foreign troops. On the other hand, only six percent of respondents believe that an occupation is good for Iraq.  The majority of Iraqi people think that occupation troops can guarantee security and stability in the region.

Probably, the results of the poll are true. Yet, one has to mention here that these results are very good for the occupation troops command and the Washington-based political leadership. The poll gives a certain trump card to the American administration and the Pentagon against the background of accusations concerning far-fetched reasons to launch the war in Iraq and the growing number of attacks on American servicemen. At the same time, it is not ruled out that Washington does not need a trump card this time.

At least, they do not conceal it in the Pentagon that American troops may stay in Iraq even for ten years, if the situation gives reasons for that, as Paul Wolfowitz believes, for example. One has no doubts that the Pentagon will feel free to interpret the situation in Iraq. Although, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said a month ago that Americans did not plan either to stay in Iraq for long, or to set up army bases there. Now they have such plans, taking into consideration the fact that Iraqi people do not mind that.