Poll: Iraqis Impatient With U.S. Presence

It's time to set a date for departure.

AP Wire | 04/29/2004 | Poll: Iraqis Impatient With U.S. Presence: "57 percent said they would like to see coalition troops leave 'immediately, within the next few months,' while 36 percent said they would like to see those troops stay longer.
Despite the reservations, Iraqis have mixed feelings about the effects of the U.S. led invasion.
_Six in 10 say ousting Saddam Hussein was worth the hardships they have faced since then.
_Half said they are better off since Saddam was ousted, while 25 percent said they are doing about the same.
Burkholder said the trend in Baghdad, where Gallup polled last August and September, reflects a drop in attitudes about U.S. troops.
Last August, almost six in 10 Iraqis said they had a positive view of how U.S. troops are behaving. Now, residents of Baghdad view U.S. soldiers negatively, by almost 8-1.
Only a quarter of Iraqis said attacks on U.S. troops are completely unjustified. Less than a third of Iraqis said the attacks are completely or somewhat justified from a moral standpoint. Another one in five said those attacks are sometimes justified.
Seven in 10 in the poll said they view the U.S. presence as an occupation and not a liberation."