Poll: Troops signal desire to come home
Survey of US troops finds that 72 percent want to withdraw within a year.
By Tom Regan | csmonitor.com
A large majority of US troops think the US should withdraw completely from Iraq within a year. Stars and Stripes reports that the poll of 944 US troops in Iraq, conducted by Zogby International, found that only 23 percent of service members felt that the US should "stay as long as needed." Although the poll, conducted in January and February of 2006, was carried out without Pentagon approval, Zogby International said they did have the approval of commanders in Iraq.
Of the 72 percent, 22 percent said troops should leave within the next six months, and 29 percent said they should withdraw “immediately.” Twenty-one percent said the US military presence should end within a year; 5 percent weren’t sure.
The poll was funded by Le Moyne College’s Center for Peace and Global Studies, which received money for the project from an anonymous antiwar activist. John Zogby, the president of Zogby International, said the donor had no imput on the content of the poll, or how it was conducted. Of those surveyed, 75 percent had served multiple tours in Iraq, 63 percent were under 30 years of age, and 25 percent were women.
One surprising finding in the poll is that 85 percent of those surveyed believe that the US's main mission in Iraq is to retaliate against Saddam Hussein for his role in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Numerous commissions and studies have been unable to find that Iraq played any role in the 9/11 bombings. Meanwhile, 93 percent said that they did not think that removing weapons of mass destruction was the reason they were in Iraq.
"We were surprised by that, especially the 85 percent [figure]," Zogby said. "Clearly that is much higher than the consensus among the American public, and the public's perception [on that topic] is much higher than the actual reality of the situation."
In discussing the findings on its website, Zogby International said that when the troops were asked why they think that some Americans want a quick withdrawal of troops from Iraq, said:
"37% of troops serving there said those Americans are unpatriotic, while 20% believe people back home don't believe a continued occupation will work. Another 16% said they believe those favoring a quick withdrawal do so because they oppose the use of the military in a pre-emptive war, while 15% said they do not believe those Americans understand the need for the US troops in Iraq."
The Financial Times reports that the poll also shows strong differences between regular troops and reservists. While forty-nine percent of reserve and 43 percent of National Guard troops said the US should pull out immediately, only 9 percent of marines felt that way.
Knight Ridder reports that some military officials questioned the validity of the survey, saying that troops in a combat zone are always going to give a more negative view of their situation.
"The poll's findings certainly aren't reflective of the attitudes we see displayed by the majority of troops, who are performing in a remarkable manner in a combat situation far from home," said Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman.
In its report, however, Knight Ridder noted that American soliders in Iraq have frequently expressed dissatisfaction with their situation. "They've cited too few soldiers to control the insurgency, a lack of equipment and pessimism about the success of the mission."
Army Times also reported that the findings in the Zogby Poll have already been foreshadowed in previous unofficial polls undertaken by military magazines.
Stars and Stripes, an independent publication produced under the auspices of the Defense Department, did an unscientific survey of thousands of troops in 2003, finding low morale and other issues. In January, the annual Military Times Poll — which surveys readers of the Military Times papers as representative of career-oriented troops — found support for the Bush administration’s policy in Iraq slipped significantly in 2005.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interviewed a number of troops in its area who had served in Iraq, and found sentiments similar to the ones in the poll.
Army Master Sgt. Michelle Michalak of Elyria, Ohio, who served in Iraq from January 2004 to January 2005, said she shares the majority sentiment. "I think we should be out now," she said. "There are people there who appreciate the Americans but there are also those who don't."
She said the United States has accomplished much in Iraq but there also are problems here that need to be addressed. "We have our own people that are homeless, hungry and living on the street, and why should we provide for people over there before we provide for our own people here?" she said.
Spc. Ralph Isabella of Slippery Rock, the subject of a Feb. 20 Post-Gazette story about divorce, domestic violence and child custody cases that proceeded while he was in Iraq, said he believes U.S. troops should remain until Iraq's own security forces can handle the job of protecting it.
"I've lost friends," he said. "I think pulling out anytime sooner would be a dishonor to the men lost."
The Syracuse Post-Standard reports that Zogby said he has been asked by senior military officials to give a presentation about the results of the poll, which he says he will do soon.
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.... interesting! this part in particular:
uuuummmmmOne surprising finding in the poll is that 85 percent of those surveyed believe that the US's main mission in Iraq is to retaliate against Saddam Hussein for his role in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Numerous commissions and studies have been unable to find that Iraq played any role in the 9/11 bombings. Meanwhile, 93 percent said that they did not think that removing weapons of mass destruction was the reason they were in Iraq.
"We were surprised by that, especially the 85 percent [figure]," Zogby said. "Clearly that is much higher than the consensus among the American public, and the public's perception [on that topic] is much higher than the actual reality of the situation."
So much there, in that simple paragraph, in those results ...
hhhhhmmmmmm
sad and surprising at the same time
