US Military Personnel Overwhelmingly Oppose Syria Strike by 3-1 margin

[Catherina]

Poll: US Military Personnel Overwhelmingly Oppose Syria Strike

By Andrew Tilghman

1:52 PM, Sep. 12, 2013 |

To the list of skeptics who question the need for air strikes against Syria, add an another unlikely group — many U.S. troops.

“I haven’t heard one single person be supportive of it,” said an Army staff sergeant at Fort Hood who asked not to be identified by name.

A Military Times survey of more than 750 active-duty troops this week found service members oppose military action in Syria by a margin of about three to one.

Military Times poll:

Airstrikes against Syria

Would you favor or oppose U.S. airstrikes against military targets in Syria in response to reports that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons to kill civilians in that country?

A higher percentage of troops, about 80 percent, say they do not believe getting involved in the two-year-old civil war is in the U.S. national interest.

The results suggest that opposition inside the military may be more intense than among the U.S. population at large. About 64 percent of Americans oppose air strikes, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll published Monday.

...

http://www.militarytimes.com/interactive/article/20130911/NEWS/309110009/Troops-oppose-strikes-Syria-by-3-1-margin


And since its Kissinger Rehabilitation week:

"Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy."

("In Haig's presence, Kissinger referred pointedly to military men as 'dumb, stupid animals to be used' as pawns for foreign policy."

-- Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein, The Final Days, p. 208)

[Wilms]

1. Assad's "fan base".

And a reference to the poster who likes to blow granular material into the discussions.

[Catherina]

2. Yeah, here's a former member of his *fanbase* in action

Marine Infantry Combat Veteran Bryan Bates at John McCain Tucson Town Hall, September 5, 2013

Published on Sep 5, 2013

Senator McCain,
My name is Bryan Bates. I am a former Marine Infantry Combat Veteran. I did a combat tour in Kunar Province Afghanistan in 2005 and another in Haditha, Iraq 2006. Roughly one year after the incident which you are aware of. I was also a Private Security Contractor in Afghanistan working with the Army Corps of Engineers who were leading the re-construction effort there. I am no stranger to Al Qaeda, their affiliates and the people of the region near Syria. I am here to tell you that I completely oppose any military intervention in Syria.
My reason, I do not believe that we can differentiate between who the good guys and who the bad guys are. I have lived amongst the population in that region. I have sat and ate dinner and been in many houses over there and I can tell you from experience that although there are many good people in that region; the cultural, religious and ideological differences from us Americans are too great for us to truly understand what is going on in Syria. We need to stay out of there. I am saddened by the atrocities just recently committed in Syria, but I do not want to see more brothers and sisters killed for a people who will change sides and denounce America as soon as they get the help that they want from us.
I still have many brothers currently serving and I can speak for the majority of them, they oppose any action in Syria as well. You sir, do not represent me or my people and I am flabbergasted that a man of honor who has sacrificed so much for his country does not understand the danger of aiding the Syrian rebels.

Gawd, what an immoral snake. "It doesn't concern me in the slightest"

And whoever that poster is, they can send us a postcard when they get to Damascus.

[MisterP]

5. "granular"? no--the substance in question is brown and clayey

[bigtree]

3. they are expendable

. . . to so many folks advocating military intervention.

They know well the burdens, consequences, risks, and limitations of war to effect these politicians' ambitions abroad.

[cui bono]

4. I imagine they're all still tired from their multiple deployments.

And of course the horror of war they have to see no matter if they were on "normal" rotations.

Enough.