Troops to the President in New Poll: Send Reinforcements or Set a Timeline

A new Zogby poll released today gives the world an important look into what our troops in Iraq think about the war. The poll finds that nearly three-quarters of American Troops think the US military should leave Iraq within one year. 53% said the U.S. should double both the number of troops and bombing missions to more effectively combat the insurgency (something I hear often from my friends inside Iraq).

944 troops were included in the poll from several undisclosed locations throughout Iraq.(See John Zogby's HuffPost for more detail)

This poll confirms that our men and women in uniform are far more in touch with reality than is their leadership in Washington. How long will we keep telling our Troops to just 'stay the course' in the face of such overwhelming evidence against that approach? Absent a major new commitment of personnel, something that is impossible in the military's current state of overextension, the current course in Iraq will become more difficult with each passing day. No one knows this better than the Troops and Veterans who have been there.

For our Troops, this isn't about Republican or Democrat, it's about results, and right now they're just not seeing the advantages of an open-ended commitment. Our troops have had more than enough yellow ribbon bumper stickers and patronizing photo ops. What they need now is a realistic plan to replace the stubborn rhetoric that has characterized the Bush Administration's approach to Iraq.

If people really want to support the Troops, they should start listening to them. This poll is the perfect place to start. The conversation has been dominated for far too long by people who have little or no credibility on the issue. The Troops want a timeline and a change in course. Americans should want to know why.