USAToday lies about Iraq poll

I remember exactly when I decided to end my subscription to USA Today:  It was in April, 2004, when the paper published the results of its nationwide survey (i.e., the USA Today-CNN-Gallup poll) of nearly 3,500 Iraqis.  On the front page, USA Today proclaimed:

 57% of Iraqis want U.S. and British forces to "leave immediately." 

That seemed conclusive, but hard to believe, so I read further.  Deeper in the paper's section A, the actual poll question was given (or so I thought).  According to USA Today, Iraqis were asked:

Which would you prefer, that the U.S. and British troops leave immediately or stay in Iraq for a longer period of time?"  Again, the paper reported that 57% wanted the troops to "leave immediately.

It was only when I went to the actual poll itself that I learned the truth.  The REAL question that was put to Iraqis was this: 

In your opinion which would you prefer U.S. and British forces to leave?

- Immediately, say in the next few months (emphasis added)

- They should stay in Iraq for a longer period of time

- Do not know

The inclusion of the words "next few months" was crucial.  Since the poll was conducted in March and April, 2004, and the Coalition forces were about to hand over governmental duties to an Iraqi interim government (at the end of June), it made perfect sense to assume that Coalition forces would not be needed after the "next few months."  Iraqis, and many Americans, assumed that the wanton destruction, inflicted upon Iraqis by the jihadists, would be curtailed or stopped, once the government was in Iraqi hands.  In that case, the Coalition forces would no longer be needed. 

If the critical words, "next few months," were not in the poll, the answer would have been entirely different.  How can we be sure?  It's easy.  Just read the rest of the poll.  Iraqis were asked several questions regarding the imminent transfer of power to the Iraqi governing council.  One of those questions was:

Should the new Iraq ask the Coalition forces to leave immediately after June 30th, or should it ask foreign troops to stay on, but only for a limited period of time?

In response to this question, which was NOT reported by USA Today, 45% of respondents said "leave immediately" (i.e., after June 30), 45% said "stay on," and 10% said they didn't know, or refused to answer.  This question, and the responses received, tell us two things:

1. The imminent transfer of power was a major factor influencing whether or not Iraqis wanted us to stay or leave.
2. Fifty seven percent of Iraqis could NOT have wanted us to "leave immediately" (as reported by USA Today), since only 45% wanted us to leave after 3 months.

Unfortunately, the USAToday lie has become accepted as fact in the year or two since it was made.  When Congressman John Murtha recently claimed that 80% of Iraqis want the U.S. and other coalition forces to leave Iraq immediately, the USA Today poll was cited by some sources as confirmation of his claim.  For example, the Project on Defense Alternatives (www.comw.org/pda/0501br17append.html) repeated the newspaper's statements about the poll (claiming that 57% of Iraqis polled wanted troops to "leave immediately").  Thus, USA Today has put out a falsehood that still reverberates through the public discourse on Iraq.  It is not too late:  USA Today should correct its distortion.  However, don't hold your breath, waiting for it to do so.

I respect the right of newspapers to have an editorial viewpoint, but I can not respect a paper that distorts (deliberately, in my opinion) its reporting.

Joe Fried, Director

PPTO

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