Three different firms have taken their expertise to Iraq, to review life before, during and after the war.

Mario Canseco

The United States-led military campaign in Iraq has entered its sixth month. Weeks before the leaders of several countries assembled a coalition to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein, countless public opinion polls were conducted on a variety of topics, ranging from unilateralism to justification. As the military effort lingers on, surveys have switched to costs, casualties and intelligence.

Apparently lost in the barrage of percentages is the opinion of those who have experienced both liberation and occupation. Three firms from two different continents have traveled to Iraq, to probe the local population.

Great Britain's YouGov agency teamed up with the Spectator and Channel 4, to conduct the first survey in post-war Iraq. The pollsters began their activity on Jul. 8, just over a month after U.S. president George W. Bush declared the end of major combat operations.

The results were mixed, as 50 per cent of the 798 Baghdad residents interviewed said military action was justified. When asked to list what they thought were the main reasons for the war, 47 per cent of respondents said "to secure oil supplies" and 41 per cent chose "to help Israel." Eliminating weapons of mass destruction—the essential motivation expressed by the Bush administration—was only mentioned by six per cent of respondents.

WMD's were at the forefront of world opinion a week after the last YouGov question was asked, when British scientist David Kelly was found dead in an apparent suicide. British polls have fixated on intelligence failures ever since.

The second team to gauge public opinion in the Persian Gulf was U.S.-based Zogby International. In early August, the company inquired 600 adults in four cities. The main topic was prosperity, as 69.7 per cent of respondents believed Iraq would improve within the next five years, and 70.9 per cent also envisioned a brighter future for themselves.

When Zogby's interviews were conducted, Iraqis had just learned about the death of Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay. The coalition appeared to be in control of the whole country, and the capture of the deposed dictator seemed hours away. One day after the final conversation was tallied, a car bomb ripped through the United Nations (UN) headquarters, killing special envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello. Attacks on soldiers continued in the following days, and Hussein remains at large.

Gallup concluded the last published survey on Sept. 4, evaluating 1,178 Iraqi citizens. While 67 per cent of respondents expected a better condition for their homeland in five years, 47 per cent said their country was better off before the invasion.

All around the globe, the military campaign has provided an opportunity to review strategies, alliances and policies. Americans are currently mulling over their president's request for $87 billion U.S. to conclude the operation, while Britons persist in appraising honesty in their elected politicians.

Like all other citizens around the world, Iraqis have expressed their views in accordance with the latest events. Their opinions appear to have swayed from a cautioned analysis and hopes for the future, to a reassessment of how the invasion has affected their lives. These results suggest neither a welcome mat for the coalition, nor a desire to return to the days of Hussein. The key test for all involved parties is still to come, with the installation of a new system of government and the establishment of democratic structures.

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