Iraq by Numbers

Some good news, much troubling news in the USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll of 3,444 Iraqis.

• In answer to the question, "How have US forces conducted themselves?" a total of 58 percent said "fairly badly" or "very badly." But the next question was, "Do you say this from personal experience, from things you’ve seen yourself or from what you’ve heard?" Only 7 percent admitted to speaking from personal experience. Some 54 percent based it on what they'd heard, not even seen.
  
  
• Kurdish results are almost the mirror image of the rest of Iraq. The gap between Sunni and Shi'ite is closing, from what it was in the last major poll I saw. The Shi'ites are expressing more unhappiness.
  
  
• Blair and Chirac had about the same favorable-unfavorable numbers in Iraq.
  
  
• Almost half those surveyed said they believe "most Americans" oppose "the policies and actions taken by their government in Iraq."
  

The answers to this question stood out for me:

"Thinking about any hardships you might have suffered since the US/British invasion, do you personally think that ousting Saddam Hussein was worth it or not?"

Total
Worth it 61
Not worth it 28

Shi’ite
Worth it 74
Not worth it 17

Nobody on the Kurdish side seemed to think it wasn't worth it.

Among Sunnis, however:

Worth it 28
Not worth it 52