Mygripe FOR years, most Iraqis viewed US soldiers as unwelcome occupiers and suspected them of trying to steal their oil.
But public opinion has undergone a dramatic change in the run-up to the departure of US combat troops.
A cross-section of several dozen Iraqis confirms a trend noted with astonishment by US generals in recent weeks. Two out of three Iraqis now appear to want the US to stay and aid political stability, especially since the country still does not have a new government five months after an election.
Abu Mohammed, 22, a shop owner, said: “I prefer the Americans to stay because without them everything will get worse.”
The Americans have been vital peacemakers in parliament as well as a source of massive financial aid. Truck driver Abdullah Ali, 37, said: “After the Americans leave, things will get worse. The politicians will keep fighting each other and we will get caught in the crossfire. We, the poor people, were hoping that the government would find us jobs, provide us with services, but without the Americans that’s even less likely.”
Many Iraqis worry that new political instability will undermine security gains and ultimately lead to a return to sectarian fighting. “With the US forces pulling out, there will be more car-bombs, more killing,” said one Iraqi business leader.
Even security staff, many of whom welcomed the move of US combat troops to remote bases last year, have voiced disquiet. Traffic policeman Abu Ali, 40, said: “The American pullout will worsen security. Our forces are not strong enough. The Americans should secure the country before they leave. They are an occupation force and this is their responsibility.”
Ordinary Iraqis have rarely seen US soldiers on their streets in the past year and have instead had to deal with Iraqi forces. US advisers have kept the worst instincts of their replacements in check, but still Iraqis complain that the locals are incompetent, undisciplined, corrupt and sometimes brutal.
In recent months, the sectarian insurgency has taken off again and the general mood in the Iraqi capital and other cities is one of anxious anticipation. Death tolls are still far below what they were two and three years ago, but the numbers have been rising since the election in March. “The Iraqis finally realised they need us,” said a US general. “Better late than never.”
The change in public opinion is nothing if not a warning sign. In Iraqi neighbourhoods, where few Americans now tread – even though they are more welcome – few trust that the war is over.
Salih Jasim, who owns a medical appliances shop, said: “This pullout is not real. They will take their combat troops out and send security companies instead.”
The US military has announced that it is reducing the number of Pentagon-employed private contractors from 130,000 to fewer than 70,000 this year, and to zero next year. Mr Jasim does not believe them. But even he is no longer sure how his country will be affected. “The Americans, they don’t care about what happens to the Iraqis,” he said. Mygripe
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