Given the unpopularity of the war, it shouldn't surprise anyone that disapproval of it is rising in the military itself. In fact, it's been growing for a while. In October, Bob Burnett wrote:
How did George Bush manage to lose the backing of our armed forces, which at one time was highly supportive of his Administration?
Four factors contributed to this change: First, the occupation of Iraq was botched. Michael Gordon and Bernard Trainor's recent book, Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraqargues the Administration "committed five grievous errors" during the planning and execution of the invasion: "They underestimated their opponent and failed to understand the welter of ethnic groups and tribes that is Iraq." "They did not bring the right tools to the fight and put too much confidence in technology." "They failed to adapt to developments on the ground;" did not recognize the rise of the insurgency. "They presided over a system in which differing military and political perspectives were discouraged." Finally, "they turned their backs on nation-building."
In addition, "A recent poll indicated that 42 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans 'said their equipment was below the military standard of being 90 percent operational,'" Burnett tells us.
So it shouldn't surprise anyone that troops are speaking out...
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Tags: news | politics | Iraq | Afghanistan | war | Military | peace | protest | poll | media | chickenhawks
