Why didn't someone tell me that there are two countries named Iraq?

[Lobster Martini]

Who knew that there were two different countries called Iraq? That’s the only explanation for the discrepancy between two polls reported within the past two days.

This one is From The Washington Post:

“The poll of more than 2,000 people, commissioned by the BBC, ABC News, ARD and USA Today, indicated Iraqis have become less optimistic about the future compared to a similar survey in 2005 when respondents were generally hopeful, the BBC said.”

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/19/AR2007031900340.html)

This one is from TimesOnline:

“Most Iraqis believe life is better for them now than it was under Saddam Hussein, according to a British opinion poll published today.

The survey of more than 5,000 Iraqis found the majority optimistic…” (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1530762.ece)

Well, I suppose both could be right…no, I suppose not.

[Kutjara]

1. I'm sure the Times poll results have absolutely nothing to do with...

...the fact that Rupert Murdoch owns the paper.

I'm guessing The BBC/ARD/ABC/USAT poll asked Iraqis throughtout the country, while Murdoch's only asked employees of NewsCorp who happen to be Iraqi citizens.

[izzie]

2. Maybe one was done in the Green Zone?

Once when I was in college in Alaska they were hired to do some of these types of polls and the results were not paid for until the 'hirers' got what they wanted. It was sort of funny.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Here's the link to the ABC News poll.

http://abcnews.go.com/images/US/1033aIraqpoll.pdf

It doesn't sound to me like things are getting better.

[pampango]

4. Both polls showed that more Iraqis are optimistic about the

future than are pessimistic, but by a smaller margin than in 2005. (They must certainly be an optimistic people by nature. It is hard for most of us to imagine how you could maintain optimism in the chaos that rules there. )

If Bush wants to hang its hat on anything, it could be that more Iraqis prefer the current chaos to life under Saddam (probably more an indictment of Saddam than endorsement of occupation, violence and economic stagnation.) The fact remains, though, that most Iraqis want us to leave and think things will improve after we leave, so there is no reason to stay. Give them the chance to bring their own country under control by ending the occupation.

[babylonsister]

5. Here's your explanation:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x269761