With debate over what to do in Iraq heating up inside the Beltway, it’s important to ask: what do the Iraqi people think about our troops?
Getting a straight answer to these questions is next to impossible in war-torn Iraq, but some groups have taken the pulse of the Iraqi public regularly. According to one recent poll sponsored by the U.S. government, 45 percent of Iraqis support the insurgent attacks against coalition troops and a majority of Iraqis oppose having the U.S.-led multinational force in the country, and feel less safe with foreign troop patrols in their neighborhood.
If democracy means giving people a voice in issues that affect their lives, then maybe the Bush administration should organize a public referendum on this key question, as suggested by others.
– Brian Katulis, Director of Democracy and Public Diplomacy
