The New York Times > International > Middle East > Public Opinion: Military Leaders Struggling to Regain Iraqis' Good Will:
"Senior American military commanders say many Iraqis who once cautiously supported the United States-led effort to stabilize Iraq are pulling back in large numbers and hedging their bets.

This erosion of trust and confidence built up over the past year represents a new complication to securing and rebuilding the country. "

The campaign to preserve an active, even if grudging, support of the Iraqi public appears to be at a critical juncture, said the commanders, who spoke with unusual candor. That view was expressed across a series of interviews this week with virtually every major field commander in Iraq, from Mosul in the north to Basra in the south, as well as other top American officers in the region.

As one senior officer bluntly summed up the conflicting views of many Iraqis nearly one year after President Bush declared the end of major combat operations: "They hate us. But they know there's no alternative. They would like us to leave as soon as possible. But they're willing to tolerate us."

Iraqis are disillusioned with the occupation for many reasons, said commanders who meet regularly with tribal, religious and civic leaders. Water and electricity service are more reliable than they were a year ago, but still spotty in many places. Long promised deliveries of trucks, radios and body armor to Iraqi security forces are mired in bureaucratic snarls, undermining American credibility. Ten weeks before a scheduled transition to a new Iraqi government on June 30, there is still no clear picture of that entity's makeup.…

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/international/middleeast/25MILI.html