( From the Justice Not Vengeance list http://www.j-n-v.org/mailing.htm )
BASRA HANDOVER - LOCALS CONDEMN BRITISH TROOPS
On Thursday 13 December, the ORB agency published a poll conducted in
Basra in the run-up to the British handover of responsibility to local
forces. Part of the poll was conducted for Newsnight, the other part
for the Sunday Times. (The poll was first spotted by Voices in the
Wilderness UK.)
The full results of the polls can be found here:
http://www.opinion.co.uk/newsroom.aspx
For the BBC programme Newsnight, ORB asked: 'Do you feel that once the
British troops have handed over the security files to the local
security forces in Basrah, the security situation in the immediate
weeks following troop withdrawal will improve, deteriorate or perhaps
you think it will stay the same?'
5% think the situation will deteriorate.
12% think it will stay the same.
66% think the situation will now improve.
(16% don't know or refused to answer.)
The same question was asked about the long-term.
5% think the situation will deteriorate.
6% think it will stay the same.
72% think the situation will improve in the long term now that British
troops have withdrawn.
(17% don't know or refused to answer.)
ORB/Newsnight then asked: 'What effect has the presence of British
troops had on the level of militia violence in Basrah?'
3% think it has reduced the overall level of militia violence.
14% think it has made no difference.
56% think the presence of British troops 'has increased the overall
level of militia violence.'
(27% don't know or refused to answer.)
'Which of the following would you like to see happen to the British troops?'
0% want them to have a presence on the streets of Basra.
9% want them 'to remain in the province but based in a camp on the
outskirts where they could be called upon in a time of crisis'.
19% want them 'to leave Iraq but to be present in a nearby country
where they could be called upon in a time of crisis'.
63% want them to 'leave the Middle East altogether and return to Britain'.
(9% don't know or refused to answer.)
86% of respondents believe the British troops have, overall, had a
negative effect on the Basra province since March 2003.
The Sunday Times ORB poll found that 70% of respondents expected to
feel a lot safer (27%) or somewhat safer (43%) after the British
troops withdrew from the city.
71% of respondents were somewhat unfavourably inclined towards the
British government (29%) or very unfavourably inclined towards the
British government (42%). (68% felt unfavourably towards the British
people.)
The biggest threat to the security situation in Basra was seen to be
'the presence of British troops' (32%).
The next most serious perceived threats were Iran (21%) and
unemployment (16%). 'Armed militias', the armed Bader Organisation,
Moqtada al-Sadr's Al Mahdi Army, and other politico-military groups
between them accumulated only 2% of 'votes'.
