Zogby: Troops want a timetable for withdrawal

So much for the right wing myth that US troops support indefinite committment in Iraq:

Most American troops in Iraq believe that the US should withdraw within the next year, according to the first poll of US military personnel in Iraq.

President George W. Bush, whose overall approval rating fell to a new low of 34 per cent this week, has repeatedly said the US would finish the mission in Iraq. But a Zogby International/Le Moyne College poll found that only 23 per cent of US troops believed that they should stay “as long as they are needed”.
br>Seventy-two per cent of troops said the US should withdraw within 12 months; 29 per cent said they should pull out immediately. [Financial Times]

Another interesting finding from the poll of 944 American military personel:

Although Mr Bush has acknowledged that Iraq played no role in September 11, 85 per cent of the troops said the US mission was mainly “to retaliate for Saddam’s role in the 9/11 attacks”.

The survey was conducted with the unofficial approval of the participants' military commanders and prior to the bombing of the Golden Mosque.

Comments

[publius]

Although Mr Bush has acknowledged that Iraq played no role in September 11, 85 per cent of the troops said the US mission was mainly “to retaliate for Saddam’s role in the 9/11 attacks”.

jesus that's scary. (surely that's wrong??)

on a brighter note, i think there's a coen-bros style black comedy screenplay in there somewhere.

[gordo]

Indoctrination is a powerful thing. If 85% of the people you talk to believe something, and you don't have time to look up contrary information, it's hard to disagree and sill maintain your self-image as a reasonable person.

The reaction to assertions that Hussein wasn't involved would probably be quite hostile, so I imagine most of the people who don't think so stay quiet. The guys in Iraq are probably going to be shocked to find that only 85% think Hussein was involved.

[michael Schmidt]

It is difficult to argue to the American people that going to war in Iraq is justifiable, but it is even harder to convince soldiers to kill and risk being killed because of a vague notion of establishing a different governmental system in a foreign country. So, a nice simple matter of revenge is a nice, emotionally uncomplicated line to feed the troops.

Another reason not to become a general; you don't have to deal with the moral difficulty of telling lies to get your appointed task accomplished.