The lastest LeMoyne College/Zogby poll, released today, is filled with interesting–and in some cases, alarming–information concerning the attitudes of U.S. troops toward the war they are fighting in Iraq. 72% of those responding to the poll said that the U.S. should leave Iraq within the next year, and about 25% said the U.S. should leave Iraq immediately. When asked why some Americans favor immediate troop withdrawal, the breakdown looked like this:
15%–Those Americans do not understand the need for our troops to be in Iraq
16%–Those Americans do not approve of the use of troops in a pre-emptive war
20$–Those Americans do not believe that the continued presence of U.S. troops will accomplish anything
37%–Those Americans are unpatriotic
58% of those serving said the Iraq mission is clear in their minds; 42% said it was somewhat unclear or very unclear to them. 85% said the U.S. is in Iraq to retaliate for Saddam Hussein’s role in the September 11 attacks, and 77% said they also believe a major goal of the war is to prevent Saddam from protecting al Qaeda.
Interestingly, 93% of respondents said that the removal of weapons of mass destruction was not a reason for the military presence of the U.S. in Iraq. Also, 80% of the troops responding to the poll said that they did not have a negative view of Iraqis because of attacks by insurgents. 80% were opposed to the use of banned weapons, and 55% said that it is not appropriate to use harsh interrogation methods against insurgents.
Only 30% believe that the Department of Defense failed to provide adequate protection for them.
The survey included 934 respondents interviewed at undisclosed locations throughout Iraq
