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06/07/2004: "Are Iraqis glad we invaded?"

I've spoken to a couple people in the past week about whether the Iraqi people support our military efforts there. From a March media poll:

More Iraqis say the United States was right than say it was wrong to lead the invasion, but by just 48 percent to 39 percent, with 13 percent expressing no opinion — hardly the unreserved welcome some U.S. policymakers had anticipated.

As many Iraqis say the war "humiliated" Iraq as say it "liberated" the country; more oppose than support the presence of coalition forces there now (although most also say they should stay for the time being); and relatively few express confidence in those forces, in the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority, or in the Iraqi Governing Council.

They're glad we came, and they don't want us to leave just yet.