One-in-Three Vets Say Iraq, Afghan Wars Were Not Worth It
Pew report examines attitudes on conflicts, terrorism and burdens and rewards of military
A U.S. soldier with an injured ankle is assisted past his burning vehicle after it struck an improvised explosive device (IED) on a road near Combat Outpost Nolen in the Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan, on July 23, 2010. (Photo credit: Bob Strong / Reuters, file)
The Associated Press via MSNBC.com
October 4, 2010
One in three U.S. veterans of the post-9/11 military believes the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were not worth fighting, and a majority think that after 10 years of combat America should be focusing less on foreign affairs and more on its own problems, according to an opinion survey released Wednesday.
The findings highlight a dilemma for the Obama administration and Congress as they struggle to shrink the government’s huge budget deficits and reconsider defense priorities while trying to keep public support for remaining involved in Iraq and Afghanistan for the longer term.
Nearly 4,500 U.S. troops have died in Iraq and about 1,700 in Afghanistan. Combined war costs since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have topped $1 trillion.
The poll results presented by the Pew Research Center portray post-9/11 veterans as proud of their work, scarred by warfare and convinced that the American public has little understanding of the problems that wartime service has created for military members and their families. …
The report’s key findings were:
Of the surveyed former service members who were seriously wounded or knew someone who was killed or seriously wounded, 48 percent said the war in Iraq was worth fighting, compared with 36 percent of those veterans who had no personal exposure to casualties. [This finding is indicative of cognitive dissonance.] …
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Read the Pew report on veterans’ attitudes (PDF)
Graphic: J. Magno /Â AP
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Video
Poll: 33% of veterans say wars not worth it (NBC Nightly News, Oct. 5, 2011) — In a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, only 34 percent of combat veterans said the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were worth fighting. Nearly half said the wars put a strain on their lives at home. NBCs Jim Miklaszewski reports. (02:13)
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Related reports on this site
Senseless Waste of Taxpayer Dollars in Iraq, Afghanistan (Aug. 31, 2011)
U.S. Taxpayers Help Fund Killing of U.S. Troops in Afghanistan
(Aug. 17, 2011)
Endless U.S. War Price Tag Hits $4 Trillion (June 29, 2011)
Breathtaking Afghan Corruption (Dec. 2, 2010)
Afghanistan War Cost Too High (Nov. 13, 2010)
Colossal Taxpayer Waste in Iraq (Aug. 29, 2010)
Iraq Projects Down the Tubes (Nov. 21, 2009)
Iraqi Neglect Costs U.S. Taxpayers (April 29, 2009)
Trillion-Dollar Wars Since 9/11 (March 30, 2009)
Feds Widen Iraq Corruption Probe (Feb. 15, 2009)
Iraq Rebuilding ‘$100 Billion Failure’ (Dec. 14, 2008)
Billions Lost on Reconstruction Projects in Iraq (July 28, 2008)
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
One Year Ago — October 5, 2010
Jacob Wetterling Kidnapping — Latest News
One year ago today, I reported that Stearns County Sheriff John Sanner announced that nothing of consequence was found in the July 2010 search of the Rassier farmstead in the Jacob Wetterling kidnapping investigation; however, he added that technology could eventually improve to the extent that it would allow for future testing of the items seized.
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Two Years Ago — October 5, 2009
Two years ago today, on October 5, 2009, I reported that the new leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, threatened to strike back at Pakistan and the United States to retaliate for airstrikes by unmanned U.S. drones in northwestern Pakistan.
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Three Years Ago — October 5, 2008
Decisive Military Victory in Afghanistan ‘Impossible’
Three years ago today, on October 5, 2008, I reported that the senior British commander in Afghanistan said that a decisive military victory in Afghanistan was impossible and that the objective in Afghanistan should be to achieve a manageable level of insurgency that’s not a strategic threat. I also reported on a U.S. missile strike in Pakistan and ongoing violence in Iraq.
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October 8th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
[…] Many Veterans Sour on Iraq and Afghanistan Wars (Oct. 5, 2011) […]