I know the big USA Today/CNN Gallup poll of Iraqis has been out for a couple days, but I just looked at it this morning. It’s actually pretty fascinating, with good news and bad.
First of all: The Kurds love us.
Also, 84% of Iraqis are doing the same or better financially since the war (nod to Andrew Sullivan’s reader).
George Bush is not very popular but he’smuch more popular than Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac and Saddam Hussein.
Huge numbers of Iraqis — 69% total and 88% Bagdhad residents and 85% of Sunnis — believe that if they cooperate with the CPA they or the lives of their families will be endangered.
But what I find the most amazing is that only 6%(!) of Iraqis have had personal contact with US military forces. This means A) the military hasn’t been able to do nearly enough nation-building personal diplomacy B) Ninety-four percent of Iraqis have formed their views about the US military via word-of-mouth, propaganda fliers, satellite TV, etc.