Posted on 06/13/2005 10:38:19 AM PDT by areafiftyone
A new Gallup Poll finds most Americans favoring a partial or complete withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq, and for the first time, a majority say they would be upset with the president if he decided to send more troops. This comes at a time when basic support for the war is as low as it has been since the war began. The poll probed Americans' reasons for believing the war was or was not worth fighting. Those who favor the war generally cite the Bush administration's various stated motivations for going to war, such as freeing the Iraqi people from an oppressive regime. Those who oppose the war believe there was insufficient justification for going to war, or say the costs have been too high given the lack of progress.
The June 6-8 poll finds 56% of Americans saying it was not worth going to war in Iraq, while 42% say it was worth it. These results are essentially the same as in a late April/early May poll (41% worth it, 57% not worth it), which represent the lowest levels of war support since fighting began in March 2003. Since last October, at least half of Americans have consistently said the war was not worth it.
(Excerpt) Read more at gallup.com ...
I defer to the experts, but even I think/ wish we could start to reduce the numbers committed there. And I totally support what we are doing.
Actually, April of 2004 had lower support...41/56
This latest one was 42/56, higher by one point.
There has not been a major drop in support, just fluctuation.
This is not the lowest level since the war began. That was last April.
again, just to make it clear....THERE WERE LOWER SUPPORT NUMBERS ***LAST APRIL***....ONE FULL YEAR AGO....then there are today.
It is a lie to say that the support level today is at its lowest.
And heck, I support troop reductions. Six months from now I do think we need to start sending a good number home.
I blame the media for the biased only reporting bad side of the reconstruction of Iraq. In fact, there is much less casualties compared to World War II and even Vietnam War. On the other hand, detained or killed terrorists are ten times the number of coalition casualties. Why would people declare America lost while the enemy is suffering much more damage? We should also put more effort in spreading the good news, at least we are availible to do that on the Internet. I hope the blogs would contribute as well.
Interesting responses to some degree. I would only asked all, if as the Iraqi armed forces under the aid and air support and heavy ground support when required, continue to push all the Ali Babbas out of Baggy Dad, the Sunni Triangle, and the Triangle of Death areas ..........they flee to safe houses, and remote training and holding facilities in the vast Al Anbar province, which is happening as I write, to stay low when required, and wait it out until we leave, then bingo!
I wonder how many of our gentle readers will then say, damn it I knew that would happen. Why did we leave so soon.
Folks if anything, we should be stepping up the schedules for the 4ID, and armor, 82/101 Airborne, and 1MEF Marines to deploy to Al Anbar areas, set up many new FOB's, and make a huge effort, with little mercy to wipe out the large insurgent population gathering and roving about Al Anbar's hundreds of Star Wars remote towns........if you know what I mean. Do understand..........PLEASE. That even when Saddam was at his top, this province, thought it contained many Baathist supporters, and Sunni Arabs, was considered a pain in the ass for Saddam. It was mostly a lawless area from the view point of cooperating with the central Iraqi government.
The province contains huge areas of rough desert terrain, very hostile to most, and perfect for the insurgents to set up shop.
Now should we pull out in six months? We don't have enough Marines in this province as is currently. I assure you we really are stretched thin. 99% of the Saudi Border area just for instance has no ground patrols. So, even if we could somehow beef up the four hundred miles of Syrian borders to somehow keep goons from moving south from Syria, what do you do to the extreme western borders?
Food for thought.
I want a poll of Army and Marine PFCs' and Sergeants'on the ground there in Iraq. I want someone who is truly independant of American politics conducting the survey, so the answers cannot be skewed to the left or right viewpoints of the war.
If the PFC's and Sergeants' tell us we should stay and fight to finish the job then we should stay and fight. If they tell us the job is finished and they should come home now then they should come home.
The sentiment I read from the guys on the ground is that their job is not finished there, the enemy still is killing large amounts of civilians daily and that these terrorists are coming in from Syria and Iran. I am an arm-chair warrior supporting our guys on the ground. Any of you true American warriors on the ground care to share your true thoughts on this subject?
Thank you for an on-the-ground perspective!!! Your sentiment to finish the job seems to be mirrored by lots of our guys in uniform over there. For what its worth, I am proud of you guys.
Pull them from Iraq and send them to crush D.C.
"Are you in favor of winning the war or losing it?"
I don't see any break down on Democrat/Republican/Independent which probably means Democrats was heavily oversampled just like in the AP-Ipsos poll.
"Thank you for an on-the-ground perspective!!! Your sentiment to finish the job seems to be mirrored by lots of our guys in uniform over there. For what its worth, I am proud of you guys."
I am only the uncle of a Marine currently serving in Iraq in the Al Anbar province. I can say I continue believing much good has already been accomplished, and the Iraqi government and peoples will end up much better in the future then they where under Saddam and prior to that mad man.
I do not wear rose colored glasses. I just was logged in to a Marine Parent web site. Today a young Marine Warrior was killed who serves in the same Bn as my nephew does. Every time I hear about one of our military being baddly injured or KIAed it kicks me in the stomach. Like most of us at this site, when one of ours dies, it takes on special meaning.
To just pull out and not finish the job would say this young Marine died in vain. And the hell if I will take on that perspective. So lets be damn proud of all our "guys and gals on the ground, sea and air", and pray them through to a successful conclusion. To do otherwise, would to be to fall into the L/MSM trap of Vietnam. Bottom line is, there is to much good news that is not being reported. And we must keep seeking honest and accurate reporting of this war on terrorism in all it's forms. I think of this web site along with the many others that mostly support our administration and our military, as bastions of freedom. We can admit the problems, but at the same time see the accomplishments often made by the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, as overshadowing the wrongs or screw ups. No I am not there with them physically, but am with them in spirit. At 58 I cannot pick up a M16 and go into harms way. But like you I am damn proud of our military who often have to hang their hides out in the cause of freedom and serving with honor the causes of the United States of America. God bless each and every one of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines as they each day truly earn their pay checks.
Agreed.
What's the polling with Americans on whether they would want terrorist in Iraq to take over the country?
"I am an arm-chair warrior supporting our guys on the ground. Any of you true American warriors on the ground care to share your true thoughts on this subject?"
Guess I just stated my opinion. And it is the over welming opinion of our Army and Marines in Iraq. I am certain of it.
Sure, one could see where lets say some soft bodies that have been behind a desk for many years had to deploy with a reserve unit. Hey they signed up. But for two years I have been reading articles from lets say for one the Marine Corps. OIF site. And it just seems like once our troops are over there and see what the hell is happening, seeing little kids killed by some damn IED planted in a road, etc., they for the most part say...........SHIT, we gotta straigten this damn mess out once and for all. I have a Lcpl Marine serving in Iraq in his second tour of duty. I want so dearly to see him return home once again whole in body and spirit. But I know each day he does his very best to do his part to bring those evil bastards to the gates of Hell.
As those super misguided and hate filled Islamic youth pour into Iraq to kill American and other Coalitoin forces and in some cases any Iraqi that does not oppose the formation of an Iraq based on secular democratic principles, our men kill them as soon as they are sited, or given continued improving HUMIT. I do not think our POTUS was being cute and clever when he said paraphrased, "it is better to kill them there, then for them to arrange to come here and kill our population."
I have a first cousins who's son will redeploy to Iraq. He was injured and returned early during his first deployment. He is with the 4th Armor in Fort Sill. He is now a Sargeant.
He told his mom, "time to go back, and relieve some our our guys", paraphrased. If I was a somewhat wealthy man, I would put up a bet for say 10K US dollars that for every military objector to the war, whether they have been in Iraq and or Afghanistan, I would be bet you there are 10,000 or more men and women that would say we have to be there and only leave once stable democracies are put in place with the backing of strong loyal to their new govenrments and peoples, a strong military is formed.
For those of us who have been keep abreast of events at the ground level for a few years, surely this is the default state. Our troops need no pep talk. They only have to look at video of the trade towers, the site in Pennsylvania of that deep hole in the ground, the flames emitting from the Pentagon, to know their job is not finished until the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan say we can leave in peace, and thank you USA for caring enough for peoples in remote lands. You don't take our oil, you don't rape our women, you put your selves at risk in bad situations, where some times you don't adequately protect yourselves when the Ali Babba try to fire into crowds of innocent people, you don't slaugther our live stock on purpose, you don't don't
go out of your way to offend our culture nor our religious believes, you take your shoes off when you can, to enter our Mosques, you continue to often under difficult situations bring us medicines, rebuild our hospitals, our broken down water treatment plants, our sadly broken electrical generation plants, you build new water treatment and distribution plants where they never existed before, you build new water distribution into so many of our towns that never knew what it was like to have clean safe water that flows from spigots in our little humble homes........you never abuse our children but smile at them and give them hugs while you hand them coloring books, pencils, silly rubber erasors, note pads, books, knap sacks........you treat our women folk with respect, and you continue with patience ask us to help you find and destroy a rabid enemy that does nothing but kills us and provides much misery for our peoples. You have destroyed a horrible government that oppressed us worse then most of our Islamic brothers have over the ages. You tell us we can live in freedom and get our damn butts off the ground an elect "freely", governments both province wise and federal that will work for all the people of Iraq. You enter our villages, and with respect sit and have tea with us, and often discuss how the American Army and Marines can best serve the needs of the Iraqi people. You do not dishonor our peoples nor our religiouse sects. You American soldiers and Marines seem to be actually on the level. You say what you will do ahead of time and then DO IT. As most of us have over the past two years sat in our homes to avoid roasting and being shot, you American soldiers and Marines go out each day with your often very heavy hot armored clothing and patrol our towns, hamlets, cities, and remote dusty, hot, horrible roads and ravins, dried creek beds, mountain platues, dirty smelly hot river banks that often want to make one puke with the stench, and you go after anyone that has a desire to harm innocent Iraqis.
Now Quantfive.............surely most of us at this web site, realize the above to be honest, true, and worthy. It is what most of our dear soldiers and Marines go through on a regular basis. I cannot speak with authority for our guys as they do the above. But surely If I where amoung them, and even if I had the very hard displeasure of seeing one of my buddies blown up by a frigen IED, or a mortar round that found a victim in one of our camps/FOB's, I think I would have to say, we must stay the course. These peoples need us for a while yet. They are on the brink of achieving what has never been done in the mid east. Unlike the pretenders in the mid east, this country has a true chance of actually gaining freedom from Islamic oppression and governmental tyranical rule for the first time in it's history.
And as this preciouse freedom is gained, the rest of the Islamic world will rise up and demand the same, less the horrible sacrifices we have had to make in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Perhaps I wear rose colored glasses. But then so does most of the freedom loving nations of the world on this issue.
I don't think I am being unfair what I now say, but Abu Musab Zarqawi trembles in his very being when he thinks Iraq could embrace a truely free secular democracy in Iraq.
The evil misguided wahabii indoctrinated misfit who cannot even comprehend of a God that Who actually loves his special creations formed in His image with souls, will do all in his power to make sure Iraq does not embrace a secular freely elected democratic government.
Now do the majority of our brave and honorable servicemen and women want the likes of this misfit to succeed?
AMEN.
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