08-F-1338 Baghdad Focus Group Dont Celebrate Regime Fall Make and Keep Promises 24 FEB 2004

040225-10 COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY UPB HAS SEE BAGHDAD INFO MEMO Dor s to us s0 FOR: THE ADMINISTRATOR FROM: Don Hamilte Baghdad Focus Group: Don't Celebrate Regime Fall; Make & Keep Promises SUBJECT: Sten owe men the perseaty. Key hindight and usefil focus group report. Two focus groups • Do not celebrate the April 9 fall of the regime. Any observation should be somber. Names like "Day of Sorrow" were preferred. (DRH Comment: This suggests that a somber ceremony commemorating Saddam's victims would be appropriate.) Iraqis to haul away the rubble.) ATTACHMENTS: IRI Public Opinion Report: "One Year Anniversary of the Fall of the Regime and Perceptions of Ambassador Bremer" DISTRIBUTION: Stratcom: Tappan, Senor, Smith Governance: Carpenter, Martinez IRI: Moore EXEC: Jones, Fuller Counselors: Ross, Bigler, Warrick Ron St. John Resident Program 019822, 409 +964-0790-191-481 The internationt Republican Institute Steven E. Moor IRI INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE PUBLIC OPINION REPORT ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF THE REGIME & PERCEPTIONS OF AMBASSADOR BREMER BACKGROUND OVERVIEW While people are happy to see the former regime gone, they feel like the year that followed was full of sorrow. toll ved me out of she previous yee, the elity ke express my has impas he best considerably. New construction and healing of the physical scars of the war would contribute considerably to a sense of improvement for Baghdadis. taking action on them. RECOMMENDATIONS • Don't celebrate April 9. Celebrations of the fall of Saddam on April 9 would be international media will be expecting physical improvement. • Ambassador Bremer needs to be seen meeting with average Iraqis, listening to their problems and working to solve them. CONCLUSIONS The anniversary of the fall of Saddam • Our groups said they will mark April 9 as the anniversary of the fall of the former regime. The occasion would be one of sadness. While the fall of the former regime ewed as an occasion for celebration, it is eclipsed by the year of hardship th followed. Sorrow." "Day of Traitors, • Sorowsked ay or traitors are thee, the endo Dayed names like "Day of 'The Fall of Saddam.' What has improved in the last year? • When asked what has improved over the last year, both groups agreed almos nanimously that the freedom to express one's opinion was the bes improvement. • Economic improvement was noted, primarily by the men, and people said that security has improved by 10% since the fall of the regime. What would improvement look like? • People want to see reconstruction. New buildings and demolition or roconstruction of war damaged buildings would be the primary evideace of / improvement. • Baghdadis want streets to re-open. Perceptions of Ambassador Bremer Both groups said in different ways that they want to see Ambassador Bremer solving problems. • it tien here me is per son heir fa rad owever, fey a tike Bismer as bad counsel from Iraq's elite. They wanted to see him solving problems - going to places of work, askir cople about their problems and then solving them. They want to see him makir promises and keeping them. Men were the polar opposite of the women, saying that Ambassador Bremer is ar, and he doesn't keep his promises. The underlying premise is that they war Ambassador Bremer to make promises and keep them. • Both groups wanted to see Ambassador Bremer appear weekly on television.