A poll of 116 US academics with advanced degrees in Middle East studies reveals skepticism about official justifications for the ongoing US presence in Iraq. 96% of polled academics believe there were no legitimate historical or security reasons for the US invasion. 86% believe that forward military bases are a critical or important decision factor in US Iraq policy. 90% feel that projection of power and control over Middle East oil reserves and infrastructure are critical or important policy criteria while only 34% found evidence that “transformation” and “Middle East democratization” were real factors in the Bush administration decision matrix.
Question: What drivers do you believe are influencing Bush administration policies on Iraq?
a. Establishing a military foothold in the Middle East.
Polled academics make recommendations for improving US-Iraq policy while speculating about how the US invasion and occupation will be judged by future generations.