Iraqis Do Not Trust U.S.-Led Forces: Poll

Iraqis Do Not Trust U.S.-Led Forces: Poll

Tuesday, December 02 2003 @ 06:05 PM EST
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/story.php?sid=20031202180550621 
The U.S.-led coalition is the least trusted 
"The survey samples the views of 3,244 Iraqis, interviewed in their
own homes in October and November .."

By Gideon Long 

LONDON (Reuters) - Nearly 80 percent of Iraqis have little or no trust
in U.S.-led occupying forces and most place their faith in religious
leaders instead, according to a major survey published in Britain.

Nearly half regard the removal of former president Saddam Hussein as
the best thing to have happened in the last 12 months while a third
said the war, bombings and defeat of the Iraqi army in April was the
worst.

"Interestingly, there appears no obvious link between best and worst
thing," the authors of the survey said on Monday. "The very troops
which liberated Iraqis from Saddam are the most mistrusted institution
in Iraq today."

The survey, published by independent British research consultancy
Oxford Research International (ORI), samples the views of 3,244
Iraqis, interviewed in their own homes in October and early November.

It offers a rare glimpse for Westerners into the mindset of ordinary
Iraqis and is shot through with ironies and contradictions.

For example, while 70 percent of those surveyed said they had
confidence in religious leaders, the same number regarded ideas,
morality, and "religious guidance" as the responsibility of
individuals, not government.

"This challenges the assumption that Iraqis want a religious regime,"
the authors said, adding that less than one percent wanted to see an
Islamic government installed in Iraq during the next 12 months.

While 90 percent of respondents wanted a democratic government, 71
percent favored "a strong Iraqi leader." Only 12 percent opted for "a
government made up mainly of religious leaders".

Two thirds of Iraqis regard "regaining public security" as the
country's top priority and few seemed concerned with vendettas against
the old regime -- 91 percent said dealing with members of the previous
government was "of no priority at all".

The section on "trust in organizations" will make edifying reading for
U.S. and British forces, grappling to bring peace to the country seven
months after the war.

When asked to rate their confidence in 11 organizations -- including
Iraq's governing council, the new Iraqi army, the police and the
United Nations -- the U.S.-led coalition was the least trusted.

Some 57 percent of those questioned said they had no trust in the
U.S.-led coalition and a further 22 percent said they had very little
trust. Only eight percent said they had a great deal of confidence in
the occupying force.

In contrast, 42 percent of Iraqis said they had a great deal of trust
in Iraq's religious leaders and another 28 percent had "quite a lot"
of trust. Only 11 percent had none at all.

Source: Mirror.co.uk