Symposium Asks if Americans Watching Iraq By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer
CARLISLE, Pa. - What are the implications if a nation goes to war and its people barely pay attention?
Roughly 150 military leaders, policy analysts and academics gathered at the Army War College on Wednesday to address that question, with the U.S. beginning its fourth year of a conflict that has killed more than 2,300 American troops.
A main concern, analysts say, is that Americans may lose patience with the fight against terrorism in Iraq and elsewhere, and ultimately decide that the fight is costing too much in money and lives.
Despite the two fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Bush has not asked for personal sacrifices on the scale of those made in World War II, when Americans bought war bonds and rationed sugar and other goods.
Also, because the U.S. has an all-volunteer military, fewer people have a personal connection to a service member than was the case, for example, during the Vietnam War, when many soldiers were drafted.
"It's extremely important then to ensure that the population itself both recognizes the necessity of the action, but is also willing to accept and bear some of the burden," said Army Lt. Col. Nathan Freier, director of national security affairs at the college's Strategic Studies Institute.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060412/ap_on_re_us/war_symposium