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DJ_Skrilla
09-13-2006, 04:31 AM
from digg.com
http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/13067

Many adults in the United States believe their government’s policies are having a negative effect, according to a poll by CBS News. 54 per cent of respondents believe the Bush administration’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan is creating more terrorists who are planning to attack.

Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.

At least 466 soldiers—including 329 Americans—have died in the war on terrorism, either in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 35 per cent of respondents think the threat of terrorism against the U.S. has increased as a result of U.S. military action against Afghanistan.

The coalition effort against Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq was launched in March 2003. At least 2,663 American soldiers have died during the military operation, and more than 19,900 troops have been wounded in action. 48 per cent of respondents think the threat of terrorism against the U.S. has increased as a result of U.S. military action against Iraq.

Yesterday, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "In Afghanistan, president (Hamid) Karzai’s elected government is fighting our common enemies. In showing the courage he’s showing, he’s inspired millions across the region. In Iraq, prime minister (Nouri) al-Maliki’s unity government is fighting al-Qaeda and the enemies of Iraq’s democracy. They’re taking increasing responsibility for the security of their free country."

Polling Data

Right now, is the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan creating more terrorists who are planning to attack the U.S., eliminating terrorists who were planning to attack the U.S., or is the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan not affecting the number of terrorists planning to attack the U.S.?

Creating more terrorists
54%

Eliminating terrorists
15%

Not affecting the number
24%

Not sure
7%



As a result of U.S. military action against Afghanistan, do you think the threat of terrorism against the United States has increased, decreased, or stayed about the same?

Increased
35%

Decreased
16%

Stayed about the same
46%

Not sure
3%



As a result of the United States’ military action against Iraq, do you think the threat of terrorism against the United States has increased, decreased, or stayed about the same?

Increased
48%

Decreased
12%

Stayed about the same
39%

Not sure
1%



Source: CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,206 American adults, conducted from Aug. 17 to Aug. 21, 2006. Margin of error is 4 per cent

sam i am
09-13-2006, 12:05 PM
OK...but where's your analysis?

Are you just reporting for the sake of showing off what "everybody knows?"

The bottom line is still that no terrorist attacks have occurred on US soil since 9/11. I know I'll be pilloried (as usual) for stating this, but that's good enough for me.

And, before the bleating begins, I do know US soldiers in Iraq personally (my best friend's fiance has two brothers over there) and pray for their safe return every day. They WANT to be there, finishing the job. I know, I know, someone is going to cite some poll that says the "majority" of US soldiers don't want to be there. Wars suck. People fight and die. Every single US serviceman (and woman) VOLUNTEERED for the military.

QueenAdrock
09-13-2006, 03:17 PM
Yeah, gonna have to comment on your "We haven't been attacked since 9/11" thing. Sam, you're smarter than that. You know that Al Qaeda bides their time. It was 8 years between the bombing of the WTC and 9/11. They wait for us to have our guard down...which I'm really scared to say, it is now. I keep talking to Droppin' about how scared I am to ride the DC metro into the heart of the city everyday, because I don't see many policemen around, or anyone searching through the trains for suspicious things. The days after 9/11, they were performing searches on people entering the trains, we had security...now, nothing. The one thing that DID make me feel better was seeing beefed up security ON 9/11 this week...but that was one day. One UNLIKELY day something might happen, might I add.

Either way, don't agree to the Homer argument:

Homer: Not a bear in sight. The "Bear Patrol" is working like a charm!
Lisa: That's specious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: [uncomprehendingly] Thanks, honey.
Lisa: By your logic, I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
Homer: Hmm. How does it work?
Lisa: It doesn't work. (pause) It's just a stupid rock!
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
Homer: (pause) Lisa, I want to buy your rock.

sam i am
09-13-2006, 05:36 PM
Queen,

You're wrong about Al-Qaeda "biding [their] time." They attacked the Cole, they attacked the embassies in Africa, and now they are attacking European targets (Spain, Britain, etc.) and sending their minions into battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Which, again, goes back to my point about the fight being "over there" where our military is ready, willing, and capable of killing off a lot more of "them" than "us."

Have you seen the casualty figures for the recent fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan? They're losing 10 times more than we (meaning the US and NATO) are in each and every engagement.

I know it's not safe to totally expect nothing more domestically, but if I were Bin Laden (or Zawahiri) I'd sure embarrass the hell out of Bush before he goes out of office and get more Demos elected so he can build up again...

QueenAdrock
09-13-2006, 05:50 PM
Yeah because Democrats are soft on terrorism. I guess that's why John Kerry chastised Bush about not caring about Bin Laden, right? Kerry said we should have gone and hunted down and killed the man in charge of 9/11 because he's weak, whereas Bush's indifference is strength. :rolleyes:

I agree that the "over there" fight with Afghanistan was the correct fight. I agree we should have gone after the Taliban. Afghanistan is slowly going down the shitter now, though, because we're not paying enough attention to keeping them stable - we're more concerned with tying our troops up in the quagmire that's Iraq. Which by the way, I surely hope is not apart of your "fight them over there" argument, because as Bush said himself "Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11." You know what country did have more ties to 9/11 though? Saudia Arabia. Saudi Arabia was the country where majority of the hijackers were from. Why didn't we go there?

And as for biding their time, I meant in between American soil attacks. There were attacks abroad between 1993-2001, too. I wouldn't doubt if they're planning a large attack on US soil. I sure hope the government gets their heads out of their asses and listen to warnings this time around and don't just throw away the notes because they're "historical in nature."

kaiser soze
09-13-2006, 06:06 PM
sam where's your analysis?

How can you say that the attacks on US allied targets are much less important than US targets, I do remember bush saying "Your either with us or against us."

and the anthrax attacks that occured days after 911 WERE terrorist attacks in the US, but yet the trail has gone cold?

Just days ago the US embassy in Syria was attacked....and the soil of an Embassy is considered the nation that occupies it.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14794377/

Documad
09-13-2006, 06:51 PM
Over 7 years without a international terrorist attack on US soil under Clinton. He ruled! (I hate those kinds of arguments)

I'm am heartened by that poll because people understand the damage Iraq is causing, but it bothers me that they don't see a huge difference between Iraq and Afghanistan. I guess the problem with Afghanistan is that we quit before we were done and moved into the wrong country instead, so that Afghanistan has been backsliding badly. So now that I think about it maybe the poll is correct on that too. :o