And now the challenge is to help the Iraqi people build a democracy that fulfills the dreams of the nearly 12 million Iraqis who came out to vote in free elections last December.
If Iraqis could vote on whether the U.S. should remain in Iraq, the results would be clear. In these recent polls of Iraqis, the people of that nation think our invasion and occupation have been a terrible mistake. From the recent AP:
Poll: Iraqis Back Attacks on U.S. TroopsBy BARRY SCHWEID
The Associated Press
Wednesday, September 27, 2006; 6:28 PMWASHINGTON -- About six in 10 Iraqis say they approve of attacks on U.S.-led forces, and slightly more than that want their government to ask U.S. troops to leave within a year, a poll finds.
The Iraqis also have negative views of Osama bin Laden, according to the early September poll of 1,150.
The poll, done for University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes, found:
*Almost four in five Iraqis say the U.S. military force in Iraq provokes more violence than it prevents.
*About 61 percent approved of the attacks . . .
Ah, the Allen backers may say, but that's only one poll. Maybe it's biased? Well, how about our own government's poll?
The State Department poll found two-thirds of Iraqis in Baghdad favor an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces, according to The Washington Post.
Once again, thanks Georges. And thanks for the trillion dollar debt the war will leave for us and our grandchildren to pay.