Pentagon Report: 37% Of Iraqis Feel Safe Outside Their Homes, 24% Have ‘Confidence’ In Foreign Troops
Pentagon Report: 37% Of Iraqis Feel Safe Outside Their Homes, 24% Have ‘Confidence’ In Foreign Troops
Yesterday, the Pentagon released its Quarterly Report to Congress on Iraq. “While security has improved dramatically, the fundamental character of the conflict in Iraq remains unchanged — a communal struggle for power and resources,” the report said.
Buried on page 28 of the report, the Pentagon notes, “Iraqis’ perception of the security situation is a mixed bag.” According to research from August 2008, “73% of Iraqis described the security situation in their neighborhoods as calm,” a 12 point increase from November 2007.
Of particular note, however, is the disparity between Iraqi’s sense of security in their own neighborhoods and their sense of security outside their neighborhoods. Seventy-four percent feel “safe and secure” in their neighborhoods but only 37 percent feel safe traveling outside of their neighborhoods:
The disparity suggests that Iraqis are increasingly confined to their own neighborhoods as a result of sectarian tensions. A new study released by UCLA concluded that ethnic violence was the primary factor in reducing violence in Iraq, conclusions also echoed by the GAO. Indeed, Baghdad is now a “city of shadows” characterized by blast walls separating Shi’a and Sunni.
The report adds that as of August, 84 percent of Iraqis had confidence in the Iraqi Army to protect them from threats and 81 percent in the Iraqi Police. Far fewer have “confidence” in foreign troops:
Confidence in the Multi-National Forces, armed groups, and militias was much lower at 24%, 11%, and 11%, respectively.
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Pentagon Report: 37% Of Iraqis Feel Safe Outside Their Homes, 24% Have ‘Confidence’ In Foreign Troops
– - The Wingnut response: “Those numbers are better than for the citizens of Washington DC.”
October 1st, 2008 at 8:10 pmDon’t they know they can walk down any street and shop for carpets more safely than in Los Angeles or New York City?
October 1st, 2008 at 8:25 pmLaRouche explains just how bad things really are
October 1st, 2008 at 9:03 pmWonderful, we’ve managed to turn an entire country into a version of Cabrini-Green
October 1st, 2008 at 9:05 pmInteresting… the charts would probably look somewhat similar if the polls were taken in my New York neighborhood!
October 1st, 2008 at 9:09 pmEnd our illegal, criminal, imperial occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. Stop giving military aid to the sometimes tyrant, Saakashvili, the President of the Republic of Georgia.
October 1st, 2008 at 9:12 pmDC is corrupted.
The pentagon is wtf. It’s suppose to be sooo secret in there. The pentagon will stack the deck.
Torture comes to mind.
October 1st, 2008 at 9:28 pmWhy does this site post threads that’s anti-repug?
Why don’t I read about Progressives’/Liberals’ issues?
Just curious. Thanks.
SAKA
October 1st, 2008 at 9:33 pmI’m watching MSnbc
From 2 pages to over 400 pages in 2 days.
We are actually watching us getting screwed by the fatcats>>>>
UNbelievable!
October 1st, 2008 at 9:35 pmTP,
Shouldn’t the headline be “Outside Their Neighborhoods” instead of “Outside Their Homes” or am I too picky?
If there was truly safety in Iraq, there would not be 20% of the nation either dead or refugees. Imagine 60 million Americans either dead or refugees. Would that come under the definition of “safe”?
October 1st, 2008 at 9:38 pmDoc Rock, Riiiighhtt! Wasn’t it Pence that said it was like your average town in Indiana?
October 1st, 2008 at 9:40 pmT. P. Wrote:
Umm,
I thought the two Senators vying to be the next Decider just were arguing over how America has been victorious in Iraq…
… Just like this report illustrates, NO?
.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:27 amGee . . they trust us just like we trust our own government! Wonder why that could be?
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:32 amSo roughly 30% have faith in Iraq.
In the USA, roughly 30% have faith in Bush.
Therefore, Iraq is a stunning success.
QED
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:00 pm