Why Do Our Soldiers Hate America?

Last year when Congressman Jack Murtha (D-PA), a twice decorated Vietnam War veteran, suggested that we begin to remove the troops from Iraq because the mission had soured, the Bush administration reacted in an interesting way. Instead of listening to the long time military man, an expert in military planning, they and their noise machine minions smeared the Congressman by questioning the circumstances surrounding the awarding of the two Purple Hearts he received for acts of valor in Vietnam.

This was the continuation of an extended media campaign that began with the the dismissal of Cindy Sheehan's anti-war protests. Essentially they dragged out the old war-horse, "We don't cut and run," meme and implied that to set a deadline for withdrawal would be somehow treasonous. Cindy Sheehan and Jack Murtha were uttered in the same breath as their anti-american strawman, Michael Moore.

Well, it seems the Bush Administration is going to have to include the entire US army serving in Iraq on their list of anti-american traitors. This, from Nicholas Kristof.

A new poll to be released today shows that U.S. soldiers overwhelmingly want out of Iraq — and soon.

The poll is the first of U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq, according to John Zogby, the pollster. Conducted by Zogby International and LeMoyne College, it asked 944 service members, "How long should U.S. troops stay in Iraq?"

Only 23 percent backed Mr. Bush's position that they should stay as long as necessary. In contrast, 72 percent said that U.S. troops should be pulled out within one year. Of those, 29 percent said they should withdraw "immediately."

Perhaps we can ship them to Gitmo and purchase the United Arab Emirates' army as a replacement.