Troops Struggle With Flagging U.S. Opinion

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-soldiers29jun29,0,7453053.story?coll=la-home-headlines

<snip>The dozen or so U.S. soldiers interviewed on a base called Camp Falcon and on a brief mission with Iraqi soldiers in the capital's Dora neighborhood said Americans should listen to Bush and stay the course. They also conceded that many things had gone wrong with counterinsurgency and reconstruction efforts and expressed doubts about Iraqis' ability to take control of the country anytime soon.

The doubts spilled out during a Tuesday morning public relations foray into the Dora neighborhood dubbed "Operation Goodwill." As American soldiers watched, newly trained Iraqi soldiers handed out soccer balls to kids and distributed leaflets with phone numbers to report insurgent activity. Then an Iraqi soldier yelled at the children and slapped one in the back of the head.

American soldiers standing nearby sighed and shook their heads.

"They're going from door to door," said 1st Lt. Paul Cutts, 30, of Duluth, Minn. "They're building relationships."

But he added: "I don't know if it's working."

[WhiteTara]

1. weren't these our guys who dropped bombs

and food packages of the same color? Why would anyone believe that a couple of soccer balls would even begin to mollify the deaths of my family friends and neighbors...let's not even go into the dilapidated condition of the infrastructure!
:dilemma:

[MisterP]

2. dissent is hurting our troops! waaah!

[VegasWolf]

3. Enough dissent might save some of their lives. nt

[MisterP]

9. *whispers* Don't tell anybody

[atreides1]

11. The freedom to dissent.....

...is one of those things that they're fighting for, just like the freedom not to march in lockstep with a bunch of junior Nazi wanna bes, known as the Bush administration.

I didn't ask them to go to Iraq, I didn't order them to drop bombs and artillery shells on women and children, and I do not believe that they are fighting for my freedom. They might believe that fairytale, but if the Patriot Act is a sign of freedom to come, then
I would prefer that they just come back home.

[Prodemsouth]

4. Its not their war! It is Bush's war and PNAC's war.

If we have to go it will be Bush and PNAC and his supporters who lost the war-not the Troops and not America. It is Bush's and PNAC's war- needs to be repeated. And they are the ones who lost the War not America not the troops, Bush and PNAC and their corprate supporters are losing the war. The troops and the American people need to be helped to view this war from that frame of mind and it is up to the anti- war movement to help get them there.

[atreides1]

10. It Became Their War

And until they stop believing in the fairy tales that they are defending our "freedom", it will continue to be their war.

As long as they drop bombs, as long as artillery opens up and fires on houses, as long as nervous soldiers kill civilians, it will be their war also.

[catnhatnh]

5. Turn spin cycle to high....

or instead let's interview the guy's mother with 20 in and find out what changed HER view....Nah-this is a lack of support HURTS the troops piece...

[hadrons]

6. "doubts spilled out during a Tuesday morning public relations foray "

Tuesday morning public relations foray ... yup, non-bias opinions there, no shilling there :eyes:

[bribri16]

7. That's right. Blame it on the civilian back home. Just like Viet Nam

Republican-military-hawk-conservatives are never to blame for anything.

[Solly Mack]

8. This is something that truly pisses me off about some soldiers

and their families - as well as other assorted Americans...

They ignorantly blame dissent instead of blaming the pieces of shit who sent them to war for absolutely no good reason.

They need to blame Bush's lies. His cutting of of their benefits. They can blame their leadership and far too many of their fellow soldiers who engage in torture...

but dissent isn't the "cause"....that isn't the reason more and more Americans are turning against Bush's war...

Bush's myriad lies caused dissent to increase...

Dissent didn't torture anyone at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo....and that torture didn't help an already bad situation.

Stop blaming dissent!