Jim Sciutto Answers Your Questions About Iraq

Oct. 27, 2005 — -- How do Iraqis view the U.S. military and the reconstruction effort? ABC News foreign correspondent Jim Sciutto answered some of your questions by telephone from Iraq.

Lizzy in North Carolina asks: Do the citizens of Iraq feel safe in their country? Can they walk down the street feeling secure or are they fearful to do the things that we in this country take for granted?

Jim Sciutto: They are definitely fearful; they are particularly fearful for their children. It doesn't mean that they spend their entire day in their house. They still have to go to the markets, they still have to go to work if they have a job, but they do less of the things that they used to do before -- like go out at night to dinner or go out at night shopping. It changes the way people live here.

Beth in Indiana asks: What news media is available for the U.S. and Coalition troops to view what the world thinks about the war? Do the troops know what's going on with Plamegate?

Sciutto: The soldiers have pretty good Internet access, obviously if they're out in a fire fight they don't have it but when they're back at the base they have access to e-mail, Web sites. And depending on their job they almost certainly have access to television, satellite TV, so they can watch FOX and CNN as well as entertainment programs.

I've spent a lot of time with them, I think they're less aware of what other countries think about them. They know and there's this impression that the Arab satellite networks portray them as demons killing -- but they're not going to watch those channels in large part because they don't understand Arabic. I think they do know what Americans feel about them. If you did a poll I think most of them would pick FOX as their first choice network which is going to be more pro-war but they're definitely aware of things like the Cindy Sheehan phenomenon.

Rodney in Ottawa, Canada asks: How accepting are Iraqis, those who are trying to go about their day-to-day lives, of the American military presence in their country?

Sciutto: They don't like it, they want to be in control of their own destiny. They don't like foreign occupiers -- in particular, they don't like Western occupiers. They are extremely disappointed with the Americans; they had much higher hopes for what we would do in terms of making the place safe and in terms of rebuilding. But when pressed, at the end of the day, they say it's not ideal but their least worst option is to have the Americans stay because they feel if they left immediately the place would be even worse and the Iraqi forces aren't up to the job yet.

Amy in Wisconsin asks: What is the morale of the troops right now? Do they feel supported by the American people?

Sciutto: It's hard to gauge morale scientifically because there's no polling, but my impression is that most soldiers still think that they're doing good work there, that they have a good mission, but many do not.