By
Tarik Hamdi, IOL Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON,
March 25 (IslamOnline.net) - Americans, who were led to believe by
President George Bush that Iraq would be a cakewalk with ‘liberated’
Iraqis dancing in the streets to welcome the Anglo-Americans axis
troops, are looking askance at reports that the Iraqis are actually
holding out.
Al-Jazeera
tape showing the first American prisoners of war and casualties that was
ironically aired during an interview with Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld jolted Americans to the fact that there was a possible crack in
the armor of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
The
American TV channel was obliged to get the war footage blurred after
demands from government agencies.
The
news that Americans are POWs drove home the horrors of war for many and
brought the reality to many Americans that they are not as strong as
some people thought they were.
A
random sampling by a news organization found Americans fearful, angry
and even indignant at those who thought war would be easy.
Many
Americans are resigning themselves to a long drawn-out war and to push
this war forward to its finality.
A
good number of Americans are becoming sensitive to death and destruction
and that diplomatic avenues were not explored fully.
In
keeping with American impatience, the half brother of a Kansas soldier
held captive in Iraq said he wants the U.S. to finish the war "as
fast as possible" so his brother can come home.
Another
POW’s mother has appealed to Bush to “do something for my son.”
On
the other end of the spectrum, the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq is
awakening the activist spirit in America's youth, with many adding their
voices to the war debate and taking to the streets for the first time in
their lives.
They
are becoming more involved human rights issue.
Many
political and civic leaders who were quieted earlier are now speaking
out against the war.
It
seemed a sharp contrast to the heady first days when coalition forces
were portrayed as speeding towards Baghdad, meeting little resistance,
with the possibility of a mass surrender of Iraqi forces.
Rumsfeld,
who appeared on the weekend talk shows along with General Richard Myers,
said: "A war is a war. It is a brutal thing."
And
Bush, returning from his weekend retreat at Camp David, told reporters:
"It is evident that it's going to take a while to achieve our
objective, but we're on course, we're determined, and we're making good
progress."
"This
is just the beginning of a tough fight."
Changing
views
 |
|
An
image video of the two-man crew of the American Apache helicopter
forced down in Karbala
|
Opinion
polls taken over Saturday and Sunday have tracked a sharp change in
mood.
A
New York Times poll showed that, in the first days of the war, the
number expecting a quick and successful campaign had increased from 43%
to 63%.
But
a Gallup poll for USA Today showed that, while 62% of those polled on
Saturday thought the war was going well, only 44% said so on Sunday.
And
49% on Sunday said they thought a bloody ground war with heavy
casualties was likely, compared to 30% on Saturday.
Overall
- despite the losses - Americans are still rallying around the troops,
with over 70% supporting the war - a little less than the 82% support
that Bush's father gained in the initial stages of the first Gulf War.
And,
also in contrast to 1991, support for the war is sharply polarized by
political party.
While
91% of Republicans support the war, only 54% of Democrats do so.
Managing
Expectations
The
administration, and the military, has been concerned for some time that
the public had unrealistic expectations of a quick victory.
Bush
has been careful to distance himself from the day-to-day running of the
war, leaving that to Rumsfeld and military commanders in the field.
And
polls show that Bush's own stature has risen since the war began, with
his overall approval rating rising from below 60% to 71%.
Americans
are also feeling more satisfied about the way things are going in the
country generally, with two-thirds now satisfied, compared to just
one-third in early March - a sign of increasing national unity that
often takes place during conflict.
But
opinion among experts is divided about whether heavy casualties would
undermine support for the war.
"The
American people are more defeat-phobic than casualty-phobic," said
Peter Feaver of Duke University.
However,
John Mueller of Ohio State University says that "the tolerance for
casualties in this war is lower than in the 1991 Gulf War."
In
that conflict, there were 147 U.S. deaths in combat and 647 wounded.
