85 percent of Iraqis oppose presence of US and UK

The British government has refused to confirm the accuracy of a new poll that reportedly found 85 percent of Iraqis opposed to the presence of US and UK troops, an IRNA report said.

"I am not in a position to comment on the leak reported by a newspaper on this polling," Defence Minister Lord Drayson told a parliamentary debate in the House of Lords, published Thursday, an IRNA report noted.

The report said: "I can confirm that such polling has taken place. Clearly, there is a degree of concern within the Iraqi population about the presence of coalition forces," Drayson said.

The minister was asked by former chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Lamont to comment on reports by the BBC and in certain Sunday newspapers that the UK Defence Ministry commissioned poll showed 85 percent of Iraqis opposed to the presence of US and UK troops.

The findings also suggested that up to 65 percent of Iraqis supported attacks on the coalition troops and that only 1 percent thought that security had improved as a result of their presence.

Drayson said that the polling regularly carried out in Iraq since early 2004 was "to improve our understanding of ordinary Iraqis' priorities and concerns" by assessing attitudes towards governance, democratic participation, security and media use.

The attitude towards the presence of coalition forces, he insisted, only "forms part of that assessment although it is not the primary purpose of the polling activity." "I am not commenting on the accuracy or otherwise of the figures," the minister insisted when challenged further by former chief of Defence Staff Lord Craig on whether he was saying the reported findings were inaccurate.

He said it was "not appropriate" to comment on the polling results. "There are important security considerations relating to the carrying out of this polling, which affect the personnel who undertake it," he said.

"The fact that statements are being made on possible leaks from such reports does not mean that I should be confirming to your Lordships' House the accuracy, or otherwise, of confidential polling," Drayson said.

Pressed further, he said it was possible "to talk about trends" and that "clearly, we have seen consistent trends in the concerns of the Iraqi people about the presence of coalition forces." The minister finally conceded that he would "certainly go back and look at the matter again" when challenged by former foreign secretary Lord Hurd, whether the government would publish all the findings of the latest poll.