25 September 2003
Majority Of Baghdad Citizens Approve Saddam Hussein's Removal
Gallup Poll shows opinions divided on merits of military campaign
By Charles W. Corey
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Residents of Baghdad "overwhelmingly believe" -- by nearly a two-to-one margin -- that removing Saddam Hussein from office was worth the hardships they might have personally endured since the coalition military action began in their country, according to a poll by The Gallup Organization released September 24.
Respondents were asked, "Thinking about any hardships you might have suffered since the U.S.-Britain invasion, do you personally think that ousting Saddam Hussein was worth it or not?" Sixty two percent of those polled said Yes it was worth it. Thirty percent said No. Eight percent either said they did not know or declined to respond.
Gallup interviewed 1178 adult residents in 122 separate locations around Baghdad between August 28 and September 4. Unlike earlier polls, which were conducted in public places, these respondents were interviewed in the privacy of their own homes. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Although the citizens of Baghdad approved of the removal of Saddam Hussein by a large margin, the poll also revealed that 94 percent of the respondents believe Baghdad is now a more dangerous place than before the onset of coalition military actions. Additionally, 99 percent of the respondents said they have had to endure extended periods without electricity and some 69 percent said they periodically lacked clean drinking water since the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
Opinions among the Baghdad residents were also divided on the merits of the coalition military campaign, whether or not it has been a positive experience for the country. One third (33 percent) of the respondents told Gallup that their country is already better off, while 47 percent answered worse off.
Looking to the future, Gallup notes that the Baghdad residents have great expectations for improvement within the next five years. Two thirds, or 67 percent, believe that Iraq will be better off, while only 8 percent expect the country to be worse off.
Sixty percent of the respondents expressed a favorable view of the Iraqi Governing Council, and half of those polled said the coalition authorities are doing a better job now than two months ago. Fourteen percent said they are doing a worse job.
While less than one third (29 percent) of those polled hold a favorable view of President Bush, almost half (47 percent) hold a favorable view of L. Paul Bremer, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, with 22 percent viewing him unfavorably.
In discussing the poll, Richard Burkholder, Gallup's international editor who headed the Gallup team in Baghdad, said residents of the city of more than six million were eager to talk with his researchers in the privacy of their own homes. Gallup polled respondents from different neighborhoods throughout the capital.
The Gallup Organization, a premier privately run U.S. polling organization, has studied human nature and behavior for more than 70 years and employs many of the world's leading scientists in management, economics, psychology, and sociology.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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