October 24, 2003	Friday	Sha’aban 27, 1424

BAGHDAD, Oct 23: An increasing number of Iraqis view the US forces as “occupiers”, not liberators, and say they want an Islamic-style democracy, citing Iran as a model, according to a new poll released here on Thursday.

The results found 67 per cent of Iraqis view the US-led troops as an occupying force, while only 46 per cent of the population considered them as such when US troops captured Baghdad on April 9, said the Iraqi Centre for Research and Strategic Studies.

Over the same timeframe, those who viewed the US forces as liberators slumped from 43 percent to 15 percent, the study said.

Asked about a future Iraqi government, 33 percent said they favoured an Islamic model as opposed to 30 percent who said yes to a Western-style democracy.

Asked what country offered the best model for Iraq, 14 percent said Iran, followed by 13.5 percent who opted for the United Arab Emirates, and 9.6 percent for the United States, it said.

Nonetheless, people still want US forces in Iraq, with 30 percent saying they strongly supported the US presence in their country, compared to only 10 wanting the US troops to leave now.—AFP