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Iraq exit splits Utahns

Let's look at he issue from the soldiers' perspective. The longer he/she spends on the gound in Iraq, the more his or her chances of getting a bullet, so the faster we exit, the more troops come home alive and/or uninjured. We can save additional lives by exiting sooner rather than later this war based on Bush's lies. People debated an exit strategy during the Vietnam War and wanted additional time. Well, the U.S. spent additional time trying to figure out how to leave "gracefully"(AKA "peace with honor") and instead left with it's tail between it's legs as it's helicopters had to land on the roof of the U.S. embassy as Vietnamese mothers tried to pass their babies off to U.S. soldiers through it's gates. The two incompetent draft dodgers sitting in the White House should never have been trusted to successfully prosecute this war. They have failed us and our brave men and women who serve in the military. It is time to move on.

This poll is akin to asking "Would you like to increase your income in the next year?"
Most people would agree. But, if you asked "Will you take a second job next year?" most would say no.

Pollsters are clever and can produce whatever results they desire, as in this case.

Many Americans are ill-informed about world news, and few bother to think about the strategic implications of American actions. Also, most ignore thte fact that we are in a war, not of our choosing, but as a result of Islamic attacks on western civilization. "Convert of die" presents a dilemma quite different from "How soon can we leave Iraq".

Meanwhile, back to "American Idol" and similar trite stuff that appeals to more people than national security.

"Utah has been Bush's last stand"

Its funny how Utahns are so preoccupied with their perception outside of the state, yet they are the last people to realize Bush's inadequacies, and they speak with pride about being the reddest state of them all. Well there's no one left in this country (outisde of UT) that still supports this president or this war, so needless to say we are not impressed with you.

The question left out of this poll is "Do you really know anything about the issues you're being asked to comment on?" and if people were honest they'd almost always have no answer "No."

I am still wondering why we are even in Iraq or Afganistan? Of course, I do not discount the men and women who have given their lives for this great country, but I sincerely wonder why we are in Iraq or Afganistan. Somebody please inform as to why we are there and sacrificing so much in lives and money.

My g.g.g.g. grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War. My g.g.g. uncle fought is the Civil War. My g.g.g. William Hyde marched with the Mormon battalion. My father and numerous relatives fought in WW2 with several who never came home. Those wars were different.We had the right reasons for fighting. We didn't have the right reason for going into Iraq and we will not have the right reason for leaving Iraq because the insurgents have every reason to continue the fight. Iran and other Muslin nations will never end their determination to defeat us. It will go on and on and on never ending in victory I am sorry to say.

I guess this means that a whole bunch of Utahns weren't paying attention when the rest of us were begging them to listen to the experts and military leaders instead of the right-wing family values fear-mongers screaming about Taliban roaming the streets of Bountiful.

I guess Rocky was right and Chris Cannon was wrong. Wrong for America and wrong for Utah.

I dare you to publish this.

John, you lost all credibility when you called the war in Iraq "not of our choosing." Even the administration called it a war of choice. Are you the only one left who doesn't get it?

Folks who don't realize why we are in the Middle East of anyplace around the world are clueless. We are fighting aggressive tyrannical despots. We have basically never finished any worldwide conflict in the past because of spineless politicians, who wouldn't let the field generals finish past wars, particularly the Second World War. MacArthur and Patton would have shaken hands somewhere is Siberia if they would have been allowed to take care of the business they would been able to do. There would have been no communist Russia or China. This would have saved countless millions of lives of citizens of both of these countries. As to the current circumstances, we fight wars with the filter of politicians hamstringing what would be quicker and better results, if the generals were given the green light to proceed with the business of finishing wars with the fewest American casualties. The results are evident around the world when the politicians do it their way. We are still deployed in places around the world to police the peace because of this practice, rather than wiping out these despots quickly. Attila the Hun had it right about his way of doing it.

John has it right. Islamofaciasm is at war with the west. We are not Sweden, we are the west. There is no clear way out. We did not choose this war, the faciasts did when they committed the atrocity on 911 and before that by hitting us several times. It just happens that Israel is also in their sights. Read Joel 3 and Zecharia 13 & 14. It's the last days folks, whether we like it of not. Running from the enemy will not help. There is no place to hide. Billary, whether we like it or not, if elected Presidenta will have to keep us in Iraq. There is no other choice left for those who care about keeping us, and the rest of the west safe from the Islamofaciasts and the Russians who support them. They are headed toward owning the worlds oil supplies. We have got to open our eyes and learn this. Do you really want that to happen folks?????

I am still not sure why we are there. The reasons that have been given have been changed so many times. If we were to listen to the news in 2001 we would be surprised at the reasons they gave. I don't believe a word that they say anymore and I want to go on record that I was never for this war. It is against all principle. I hope every one in Utah will finally wake up and see what is happening. Bring our troops home today and fixing our own house before we try fixing someone elses.

Well young people.... your parent's failed this country with Vietnam and now you will failed too if you do not take a stand Do you see?

To all lilly livers, weak knees, liberals, Harry Reed, Hilary Clinton, et al:

We are in Iraq/Afganistan, and all the other places around the world to protect the interests of the United States of America and our allies. Yes, and part of it reasonable market price and stability/availabilty of petroleum products. One the basic reasons we are in the mess we are in today is because of the lack of backbone of our politicians. Cleaning up this nations' borders is a big part of it. We have an elitist political group who need to come together, or we are going to see more difficulties as we go forward. Had Patton and MacArthur been given the green light to finish WWII, they would have met somewhere in Siberia. There would have been no Soviet Union or Communist China, Korean/Vietnam conflits, and more than likley, no world-wide deployments of U.S. and allied troops. Electing liberals is a huge part of the problem. I am optimistic we can salvage the Iraq/Afganistan conflicts if we stay the course. We can't give up. I don't want to see nukes on our shores. Buck up!

Former BYU physicist Steven Jones blames the Bush administration's "false flag" of 9/11 for allowing the Twin Towers to be attacked. His research suggests either ineptitude, criminal neglect or collusion.

If we were fighting 'aggressive tyrannical despots' we'd be invading Washington DC.

I suggest that my fellow LDS who still support Bush's war to study thoroughly Alma 43 and D&C 98.

"Renounce war and proclaim peace." We should have followed that admonition in 2002 and 2003.

Anonymous: It's easy. The predominamt religion in Utah encourages cookie cutter folks and discourages serious thinking......follow the leader and ask no questions. I think that's the answer in a nut shell.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, coalition commander in 2003 and 2004, called the Iraq war "a nightmare with no end in sight," for which he said the Bush administration, the State Department and Congress all share blame.

Sanchez told a group of military reporters in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday that such dereliction of duty by a military officer would mean immediate dismissal or court martial, but the politicians have not been held accountable.

He said the Iraq war plan from the start was "catastrophically flawed, unrealistically optimistic," and the administration has not provided the resources necessary for victory, which he said the military could never achieve on its own.

It is a tragedy that self-serving rhetoric has replaced impartial and fair-minded political discourse in our society. Driving American citizens apart at a time of national peril from within and without is the surest way for aspiring despots to succeed, whoever they may be. And, who they are may shock and surprise us. It behooves us to keep our eyes, ears, and minds open to the prevailing political winds. I'm not sure I want to go the direction they are blowing.

Ted:

President Hinckley encouraged all LDS members to support this war at the start, suggesting that it was a just war, and that we should trust Bush and national leaders as they had more intelligence on the matter. Since then, however, all of the blatant Bush lies that led us into the war have been debunked, and it is telling that President Hinckley has remained completely silent on the subject, indicating that even he had been misled by the subterfuge and now via silence acknowledges the obvious fact that this indeed has been a very unjust war (afterall no one in Iraq posed any threat to the US, and in fact the 911 hyjackers mostly came from Saudi Arabia).