In the two decades since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Iraqi public opinion on the United States has been shaped by deep-rooted political, religious, and historical factors. Understanding the Iraqi perspective requires a breakdown of the country’s major political and religious forces, as well as a nuanced look at how Iraqis view the regimes of Saddam Hussein, the U.S. invasion under George W. Bush, and the long-term effects on their country’s stability and standard of living.
Iraq’s population is religiously and ethnically diverse, with the following key groups shaping its political and social fabric:
- Shia Muslims: Roughly 60-65% of the population, predominantly in the south. Shia political forces have been dominant in Iraq’s post-2003 political order.
- Sunni Muslims: Approximately 30-35% of the population, mostly in central and western Iraq. Historically, underrepresented since 2003, but they played a key role during Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist regime.
- Kurds: Making up about 15-20% of the population, Kurds are ethnically distinct from Arabs and predominantly Sunni Muslims. They have long sought greater autonomy and control over the northern region of Kurdistan.
- Christian and other minority groups: Less than 5% of the population, these groups include Assyrians, Yazidis, and other smaller communities who have faced significant violence and displacement since 2003.
Politically, Iraq has been influenced by a multitude of parties, with Shia-dominated groups like the Dawa Party and Sadrist Movement (led by Muqtada al-Sadr) being prominent post-2003. Sunni political forces have often been fragmented, while Kurdish parties like the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have wielded power in the northern semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Iraqis have deeply divided opinions on Saddam Hussein’s reign. For many Shia Arabs and Kurds, Saddam's rule is remembered for its brutality. Under Saddam, the Shia majority was marginalized, and his regime carried out violent crackdowns on Shia uprisings, particularly after the Gulf War in 1991. The Kurds suffered particularly egregious atrocities, most notably the Anfal campaign of the late 1980s, in which tens of thousands of Kurds were killed in a genocidal campaign, including the chemical attack on Halabja in 1988.
However, many Sunni Arabs, particularly those who benefited from his Ba’athist policies, view Saddam’s regime with a degree of nostalgia. They argue that, despite the harsh repression, the country was more stable, secure, and economically vibrant than in the years following the U.S. invasion.
The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the subsequent war that toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime are seen through different lenses by various Iraqi groups. While Shia political factions and Kurds initially welcomed the removal of Saddam, viewing it as a chance to finally exercise political power, Sunnis largely opposed the invasion, seeing it as an illegitimate foreign intervention.
Many Iraqis, regardless of sect, harbor strong resentment toward the U.S. because of the devastating impact of the war, the instability it created, and the perceived arrogance with which the U.S. sought to reshape Iraq. Iraqi writings and public discourse often criticize the U.S. for mismanaging the post-invasion transition, particularly the **dissolution of the Iraqi army** and the de-Ba'athification policy, which excluded many Sunnis from political and military roles, sowing the seeds of the insurgency that followed.
While Saddam’s repression was systematic and targeted specific groups, particularly the Shia and Kurds, the violence of the U.S.-led war had a more widespread impact. Saddam’s violence was seen by some as the price for maintaining internal stability and order, albeit through authoritarian means. By contrast, the **violence that followed the U.S. invasion**, which included insurgent attacks, sectarian killings, and a civil war, was viewed as chaotic and indiscriminate. The 2006-2007 period of sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni groups is particularly remembered for the scale of bloodshed and destruction.
The aftermath of the Iraq War left a power vacuum that profoundly affected Iraq’s security and stability. Iran, with its Shia-majority population, seized the opportunity to exert influence, backing various Shia militias and political factions within Iraq. For many Iraqis, particularly Sunnis and nationalists, Iran’s growing presence is a source of concern, as they see their country’s sovereignty being compromised. Iranian-backed militias like the **Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)**, which played a major role in fighting ISIS, are now deeply embedded in Iraq’s political and security apparatus.
The rise of groups like ISIS, which capitalized on Sunni grievances post-2003, also fueled regional instability and pushed Iraq closer to Tehran for support in countering extremist groups. Iraq’s reliance on Iran for security and political alignment has led to a complicated relationship between the two nations, marked by both cooperation and tension.
The invasion and its aftermath have had a devastating effect on Iraq’s economy and standard of living. In the 1980s, Iraq was a relatively prosperous nation, buoyed by its oil wealth, though this was largely concentrated among Saddam’s allies. Today, while oil production has recovered, the broader economy remains stunted due to corruption, political instability, and ongoing security challenges. Unemployment is high, infrastructure is weak, and basic services like electricity and healthcare remain underdeveloped.
In terms of safety and security, Iraq is far from the authoritarian stability of the Saddam era, but neither has it achieved the kind of peaceful democracy the U.S. envisioned. Iraqis today live in a nation where violence, though diminished since the peak of the insurgency and ISIS occupation, still flares up in pockets of the country. Bombings, political assassinations, and militia conflicts remain a reality, and sectarian tensions continue to simmer beneath the surface.
Iraqi public opinion on the United States reflects a complex blend of historical grievances, religious identity, and political realities. While Saddam’s regime is viewed with a mix of fear and nostalgia depending on the sectarian and ethnic background, the U.S. invasion is largely regarded as a disastrous miscalculation that brought untold suffering to the Iraqi people. The post-war chaos and the rise of Iran as a dominant player in Iraqi affairs have further complicated the nation's recovery.
Today, while Iraq enjoys a level of political freedom unthinkable under Saddam, the gains in freedom have not translated into the safety, security, and prosperity that many Iraqis had hoped for. The question of whether the U.S. involvement in Iraq was worth the cost remains a divisive issue, and the long shadow of the war continues to loom large over Iraq’s future trajectory.