If one reads the liberal press strictly, one will not at all get the impression that the democracy the US is introducing is popular. But if you read iraqi bloggers, as I have, if one reads iraqi papers (some are trnaslated), as I have, read other press, as i do, one gets a very different picture. The evidence is that 8 millipn iraqis defied the islamists and voted, despite all the threats and suicide bombings aimed at them by the jihadis.
Of course, iraqis have their pride. Any people would feel awful just to have needed a foreign nation to rescue them from a home-grown tyrant, and needed a foreign nation to being them the democracy that so innately appeals. So, sure, they want the US out...kind of. because what the polls say is that they want the US to leave asap, but NOT before then.
Islamic extremism was present at the faith's birth. It has waxed and waned over the centuries, mainly waxed - because of the Koran's War Verses. I would agree that the west's 20th century imperialism was a factor in a resurgence, as was a response to the oppression of Arab authoritarianism. And yet, one needs to realize that the ottoman Empire was islamic, and, right up to its demise not quite 100 years ago, it was intruding on Western nations. In other words, while we tend to see the west as the imperialists, we fail to understand that the Islamic world was no less, and possibly, more imperialist. The real issue is that, in the end, we won. Our victory not only was humiliating in and of itself, but to the faithful it was a religious horror: Islam is supposed to dominate the world, not the judeo-Christian west.
In any event, the US has not been an imperialist power in their world. That is, before Iraq the US hadn't invaded. So, Gulf War one was with teh agreement of other Arab nations who were afraid of Hussein. The US went to war to defend and free muslims in the Balkans, the oppositie of imperialism. After Gulf War one the US maintained troops in saudi Arabia at that regime's request, to,protect it against a possibly resurgent hussein. That excised the isalmists, because for thatr eason, and with respect to other US activities in their region, they saw, perhaps rightfully, the US as an obstacle to their goal of taking over Arabia and the rest of the islamic world.
What is true, however, is that the US has supported repressive regimes for many reasons:
* for the sake of stability to protect oil supplies,
* as an alternative to the islamists.
* as an enemy of my enemy (Communism) strategy
Bush has now repudiated that policy and says repression is not acceptable, and that democracy, not Islamism, is the alternative.
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