US Veterans and Military Families Overwhelmingly Support Withdrawing From Afghanistan
As well as oppose further increases in military spending, are more concerned about the growing national debt
Veterans and military families overwhelmingly support plans to fully withdraw troops from Afghanistan and similarly favor a complete U.S. military pullout from Syria, according to a new poll from a conservative activist group released Wednesday.
Concerned Veterans for America, which has close ties to the conservative Koch brothers’ network and the Trump administration, said the results indicate that President Donald Trump should follow through with his public comments to bring those troops home.
“Veterans and military families have borne the brunt of America’s endless wars, and after nearly two decades of fighting there is clear support among both groups for a new approach to American foreign policy,” said Dan Caldwell, executive director at Concerned Veterans for America.
“President Trump would have strong support from these communities if he were to follow through on his promise to remove U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Syria, and get serious about our country’s financial future.”
In recent months, CVA officials have teamed up with leaders from VoteVets.org — a left-leaning advocacy group with close ties to the Democratic Party — to push lawmakers to halt open-ended foreign military operations, arguing the “forever” wars cost too much in taxpayer funds and military readiness.
CVA leaders say results from the survey show support for that position from among veterans and military families. The data was collected between April 5 and 14, and includes responses from a randomized sample of 800 veterans and 800 more military households. Group officials said there is a 3.5 percent margin on the responses.
It was conducted by the communications firm Pursuit Of — an organization connected to the Koch brothers’ network, though with separate funding and operations from CVA.
Less than 40 percent of those surveyed said that keeping troops in Afghanistan is still necessary for the safety of the United States. Sixty percent said they support removing all U.S. personnel from Afghanistan.
The U.S. military mission in Syria got more support — about 55 percent of those surveyed said they think having a military presence there is important to U.S. national security — but roughly half said they still would support removing all American military personnel from that region.
Less than one-third said they would oppose a total withdrawal from Afghanistan, and about 45 percent said they would oppose a full pull out from Syria.
Trump in recent months has vacillated on the troop presence in both areas. In his State of the Union speech in February, Trump said that “great nations do not fight endless wars” and hinted at major personnel changes in both areas. But rumored plans for a full withdrawal from both combat zones have not yet materialized.
The potential rapid drawdown of troops from both combat zones was also a factor in the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis last year.
The veterans and military households surveyed by CVA offered a mixed view of the president’s work as commander in chief. Of those surveyed, 53 percent said they approve of his job performance, while 47 percent said they disapprove.
Those figures echo Military Times’ own poll of service members from last fall, which found 44 percent had a favorable view of Trump’s presidency and 43 percent a negative view.
One of Trump’s repeated military policy accomplishments over the last year has been securing a sizable increase in the defense budget, to $716 billion. He has also requested $750 billion in national security spending for fiscal 2020.
But only about one-third of the individuals surveyed by CVA say the military needs another funding increase next year. Among veterans surveyed, half said spending levels should remain the same. Among military households, nearly a quarter said spending levels should be decreased.
“The vast majority of veterans and military families do not support massive increases in defense spending and appear more concerned about the negative consequences of our growing national debt,” Caldwell said.
The results also showed more than three times as many respondents in support of a new base closure round than opposed to the idea. More than 70 percent said the national debt poses a significant threat to American security.
The full survey results are available on CVA’s web site.
Source: Military Times
The GWOT was to last 100 years. They need to try their argument again in 2101.
ask israel !
Another potential voting bloc President Trump will lose in 2020. They may have the credentials to start a peace movement with little to no traction, but the silent majority of Democrat and Republican peace advocates will take note in 2020.
A complete troop withdrawal from Syria or Afghanistan-long shots that they are- won’t eclipse the Iran war most likely to be initiated by early June 2019. The president takes a political hit with a floundering economy.
The only candidate with peace chops who won’t be able to unilaterally order troop withdrawals is Tulsi Gabbard. She may win based on national soul searching alone.
Why will he lose it? What is the alternative?
My dear friend that is not how representative democracy works. The one who gets elected is the one who pleases the marginal voters. That is why Direct Democracy is the only solution.
The war criminal USA should get out of Afghanistan.
Remaining there is a war crime.
As far as the “national debt”, that is an illusion, is not real.
Any Usury debts owed, by the USA, are the responsibility of the USA corporation, based in Washington DC.
America the Land, and America the souls living on the face of the land, did not “borrow” this fiat currency, so therefore are not responsible for it.
‘How To Get Rid of All of The USA/WASHINGTON DC’s Debt!’
http://www.johnccarleton.org/BLOGGER/2018/12/10/how-to-get-rid-of-all-of-the-usa-washington-dcs-debt/