General Petraeus has testified before Congress on the progress of the Iraq "surge", and (as expected) said it is meeting its objectives. The Iraqi people, however, beg to differ. According to a poll [PDF] by the BBC, ABC, and NHK, they overwhelmingly believe it has made things worse. According to the poll,
- 70% think it has worsened security in the areas extra US forces have been sent;
- 68% think it has worsened security in other areas of Iraq;
- 70% think it has worsened conditions for political dialogue;
- 65% think it has made it more difficult for the Iraqi government to carry out its work;
- 67% think it has slowed the pace of reconstruction in Iraq; and
- 67% think it has slowed the pace of economic development in Iraq.
In addition, the number of Iraqis who want the US to leave immediately is at an all-time high of 47%, and its likely there'll be a majority for immediate withdrawal soon.
This is the only verdict that matters, and I'd say it's pretty convincing. Iraqis don't think the US is doing a good job, and they want them to go home sooner rather than later. Isn't it time the Americans listened to them?
