August 28, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - A majority of adults in five nations think the United Nations (UN) must play a deeper role in Iraq, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 80 per cent of respondents in Italy, and 79 per cent of respondents in Britain, support the creation of a UN peacekeeping force to oversee the political transition of Iraq into a democratic state.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - A majority of adults in five nations think the United Nations (UN) must play a deeper role in Iraq, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 80 per cent of respondents in Italy, and 79 per cent of respondents in Britain, support the creation of a UN peacekeeping force to oversee the political transition of Iraq into a democratic state.

France is next on the list with 74 per cent, followed by Germany with 62 per cent, and Canada with 58 per cent. Britain and Italy have provided support to the U.S.-led coalition effort in Iraq, while the French, German and Canadian governments decided not to deploy troops to the country.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein's regime was launched in March 2003. At least 4,024 soldiers have died during the military operation, including 168 Britons and 33 Italians.

There has been no official inquiry on the actual number of Iraqi casualties. A volunteer group of British and U.S. academics and researchers—known as Iraq Body Count (IBC)—estimates that more than 70,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed during the military intervention.

In a New York Times editorial published on Jul. 20, U.S. ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad discussed the world body's possible involvement in Iraq. Khalilzad wrote: "While reasonable people can differ on whether the coalition should have intervened against Saddam Hussein's regime, it is clear at this point that the future of Iraq will have a profound effect on the region and, in turn, on peace and stability in the world. The United States endorses (UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's) call for an expanded United Nations role in Iraq to help Iraq become a peaceful, stable country—one that will be a responsible partner in the international community and a force for moderation in the region."

On Aug. 23, Ban appointed New Zealand diplomat David Shearer as his deputy envoy in Iraq. New Zealand defence minister Phil Goff expressed satisfaction, saying, "(Shearer) will do as good a job as can be done in a situation that is clearly having tragic consequences in the sheer loss of life and sectarian violence."

Polling Data

Would you support or oppose the creation of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force to oversee the political transition of Iraq into a democratic state?

	BRI	FRA	ITA	GER	CAN
Strongly support	40%	31%	44%	18%	24%
Moderately support	39%	43%	36%	44%	34%
Moderately oppose	6%	10%	8%	21%	11%
Strongly oppose	5%	5%	7%	8%	15%
Not sure	10%	11%	5%	8%	16%

Source: Angus Reid Strategies
Methodology: Online interviews with 5,075 adults in Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Italy, conducted from Jul. 26 to Aug. 11, 2007. Margin of error for each country is 3.1 per cent.

Complete Poll (PDF)

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