The War on Terror is a campaign that always needs a target to go after... The newest target is Julian Assange, founder of the controversial website Wikileaks. Assange was largely off the radar of Western governments until his website published a series of reports on Iraq, Afghanistan, and diplomatic dealings that have seriously embarrassed the administration. Now he is being vilified in the press, and called a "threat to national security" by government officials. A warrant has been put out for his arrest under the espionage act of 1917.
I could understand how Assange could be called a threat if he was really damaging national security, but I don't think this is the case. If anything, he is improving security by showing us the monumental gaps that exist in the current system. With all the cover ups and conspiracies surrounding our operations in the WOT, it is frankly a bit refreshing to get a new perspective based on... well... the truth. 15,000 deaths in Iraq that were previously unreported are now known. Will this effect Public opinion? Undoubtedly. If the administration and DOD is embarrassed about the effects of the War on Terror, maybe they should consider that all of this was actually a bad idea. Governments should not be afraid of the truth, neither should the people who give them their mandate. Hopefully Assange will not be tried and found guilty in the court of Public opinion.
Mr. Assange is currently running at the front in TIME magazine's "person of the year" poll. For his sake, let's hope that this is because he is seen as a hero and not a villain.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Developments... some good and some bad
The past couple weeks have seen some interesting developments in information about the War on Terror. The Pew Research Center's report for the 22nd of October indicates that Americans are feeling positive about the ability of the government to protect them against further terrorist attacks. In the past year, however, they still feel that the ability of terrorists to attacks the US (compared with 9/11) is about the same.
On the war front, I predict a shift is going to take place in public opinion relating to the now "ended" war in Iraq. The recent release of the wikileaks Iraq war logs, a collection of sensitive government documents detailing the realities of ground operations during the occupation, will certainly not help efforts to make it look like a US victory. A further 15,000 unknown deaths of civilians are now uncovered, including details of where, when, and how these people were killed. A much clearer picture of the chaos surrounding counterinsurgency operations conducted by the US and our Iraqi allies is finally available. This includes cover ups of ROE (rules of engagement) violations, and indications that US soldiers were ordered to ignore Iraqi Army and Police torturing suspected insurgents.
While I would like to tell you all that I think this is a pack of lies, that isn't the case. I have seen and heard enough to know that most of this is firmly grounded in reality. Hopefully the public will absorb some of this and show the proper outrage at our government's failings.
On the war front, I predict a shift is going to take place in public opinion relating to the now "ended" war in Iraq. The recent release of the wikileaks Iraq war logs, a collection of sensitive government documents detailing the realities of ground operations during the occupation, will certainly not help efforts to make it look like a US victory. A further 15,000 unknown deaths of civilians are now uncovered, including details of where, when, and how these people were killed. A much clearer picture of the chaos surrounding counterinsurgency operations conducted by the US and our Iraqi allies is finally available. This includes cover ups of ROE (rules of engagement) violations, and indications that US soldiers were ordered to ignore Iraqi Army and Police torturing suspected insurgents.
While I would like to tell you all that I think this is a pack of lies, that isn't the case. I have seen and heard enough to know that most of this is firmly grounded in reality. Hopefully the public will absorb some of this and show the proper outrage at our government's failings.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Do we feel any safer?
What is the point of the War on Terror? If our military actions overseas are supposed to be making Americans feel safer, it's not working. According to this Gallup poll, 59% of Americans reported being very or somewhat worried about the possibility of a terrorist attack immediately following the September 11th attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. The trend in this poll appears to have risen and fallen sharply during the periods of heaviest engagement and uncertainty in the Iraq occupation, bottoming out with Americans feeling significantly less worried after the capture of Saddam Hussein in early 2004. The numbers, however, have steadied for the last four years, setting in around %40 showing concern about becoming terror victims in 2006. As of early 2010, 42% still fear attacks, despite the only recent threat being the "underwear bomber" thwarted during the holiday season. Nine years into the war, Despite untold lives being lost, American civilians still feel just as unsafe at home as they did six months after 9/11. If we are really looking to make Americans feel safer, that mission has clearly not been accomplished.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Tides of War
While the War on Terror has only been waged for less than a decade now, it appears that we have reached a sort of plateau in public opinion relating to the war.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/5257/War-Terrorism.aspx
At the onset of the Iraq invasion in spring 2003, a majority of %75 were satisfied with our actions. Since that point there has been a continuous downward trend in that opinion, the only exception being a short rise in early 2005. After this point the public opinion data comes close to being nearly even as relates to the war. If this baseline for public opinion is compared to the growing tally of combat deaths of US military personnel and the escalation of sectarian violence in Iraq, there is a very close correlation.
http://icasualties.org/Iraq/ByYear.aspx
I believe that both the growing number of casualties in the Middle East and building frustration over failures in forming functional governments in Iraq and Afghanistan to be the two most prevalent factors in determining public opinion.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/5257/War-Terrorism.aspx
At the onset of the Iraq invasion in spring 2003, a majority of %75 were satisfied with our actions. Since that point there has been a continuous downward trend in that opinion, the only exception being a short rise in early 2005. After this point the public opinion data comes close to being nearly even as relates to the war. If this baseline for public opinion is compared to the growing tally of combat deaths of US military personnel and the escalation of sectarian violence in Iraq, there is a very close correlation.
http://icasualties.org/Iraq/ByYear.aspx
I believe that both the growing number of casualties in the Middle East and building frustration over failures in forming functional governments in Iraq and Afghanistan to be the two most prevalent factors in determining public opinion.
Introduction
Hello all,
My name is Phil Brown, and I am a senior in political science. My primary areas of interest are comparative politics, particularly in Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. The issue I have selected to blog about is the "War on Terror" which encompasses US military action in Iraq and Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks, as well as many other aid, advisory, and combat missions being carried out by US agencies and contractors overseas. The main reason that public opinion related to the War of Terror is important to me is that many of my friends have or currently have served in combat operations overseas, including several who lost their lives. Before coming to ISU, I was formerly a Sergeant in the US Army, and was involved in both the occupation of Iraq and the administration of the first elections there in 2005. While I would like to say I supported and still support the objectives of our missions overseas, in all honesty I have many doubts as to our potential for success. The goal of this blog is to explore the opinion of the american public on these matters and to examine the shifts that have come about in the past nine years of war. I will attempt to find out what impact these operations have had on opinions of the United States abroad, particularly in the Middle East.
My name is Phil Brown, and I am a senior in political science. My primary areas of interest are comparative politics, particularly in Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. The issue I have selected to blog about is the "War on Terror" which encompasses US military action in Iraq and Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks, as well as many other aid, advisory, and combat missions being carried out by US agencies and contractors overseas. The main reason that public opinion related to the War of Terror is important to me is that many of my friends have or currently have served in combat operations overseas, including several who lost their lives. Before coming to ISU, I was formerly a Sergeant in the US Army, and was involved in both the occupation of Iraq and the administration of the first elections there in 2005. While I would like to say I supported and still support the objectives of our missions overseas, in all honesty I have many doubts as to our potential for success. The goal of this blog is to explore the opinion of the american public on these matters and to examine the shifts that have come about in the past nine years of war. I will attempt to find out what impact these operations have had on opinions of the United States abroad, particularly in the Middle East.
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