Iraq War Articles Indicate A Growing Dissatisfaction
Those who follow the reporting on Iraq would find that Iraq War articles indicate a growing dissatisfaction with the administration's campaign there. Increasingly, the Iraq War articles coverage has documented the deep disappointment of the public with how the war is going and the growing mistrust of White House statements about Iraq. Between July and August 2007, for instance, a comparison of two Iraq War articles shows a rapid loss of support for the Iraq War. Some Iraq War articles published the results of a USA Today/Gallup poll in the first week of July which showed that 62 percent of Americans felt it was a mistake that the US had sent troops to Iraq. This was a record high in the level of opposition to the war.
Until August came, that is. Published Iraq War articles in mid-August reported that a CNN/Opinion Research poll conducted in the first week of August showed 67 percent of respondents said they did not support the war in Iraq, and only 33 percent did. These Iraq War articles also pointed out the seeming dissonance between public opinion and the administration's pronouncements on Iraq. President Bush has frequently declared that Congress and the American public should withhold judgment on the much ballyhooed troop surge in Iraq. Bush has said the people should wait for the progress reports due in September from the US Army commander and the US ambassador to this war-torn country. When questioned about their possible reactions to the upcoming reports, the Iraq War articles noted that there was a marked majority (53 percent) of respondents who said they suspected the military would make its assessment report sound better than the actual situation in Iraq, and only 43 percent said they would trust the report. The Iraq War articles also reported that further probing elicited the observation that a large majority of Americans have made up their minds about the Iraq War - more than 7 out of 10 (72 percent) said the upcoming reports will make no difference and will not affect their view of the Iraq War. Beyond public opinion on the war, however, Iraq War articles also cover other significant issues. One of the most disturbing issues that should concern veterans and veterans' families is the mental stability of the military personnel in Iraq. Recent Iraq War articles reported that the suicide rate in the US Army has reached its highest rate in 26 years. For 2006, the US Army experienced a suicide rate of 17.3 suicides per 100,000 soldiers which was an increase from 12.8 the year before. Many of the 99 soldiers who took their own life were serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. The army said the factors underlying the suicides involved failed relationships, work stress, and legal and financial issues. The army reports cited in the Iraq War articles also said that there was some evidence, although limited, showing that repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan put more soldiers at risk for suicide. The reports established a significant correlation between suicide attempts and the length of time that the servicemen and women spent in Afghanistan, Iraq, or neighboring countries hosting US operations that provide support to the two wars. Earlier in March this year, Iraq War articles published reports that said one-fourth of veterans returning from duty in Iraq or Afghanistan needed attention for mental health problems being suffered. The most common diagnosis was post-traumatic stress disorder, but the mental health problems identified also included anxiety, depression and substance-use. Iraq War articles have also reported that military mental health care facilities are inadequate to serve the large numbers of soldiers needing professional help as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars drag on. |