The results of a Zogby International/LeMoyne College poll is set to be released today to the the following question, "How long should US troops stay in Iraq?" The question doesn't sound all that earth shattering except for the fact that the people polled were 944 service members currently serving in Iraq. That makes this poll the first of its kind.
Overall, the poll shows that the troops want out of Iraq ASAP.
Since it's a NYT Select, I've tried to post the poll results for the most part. The rest of the Op-ed is at the link:
http://select.nytimes.com/2006/02/28/opinion/28kristof.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=loginThe Soldiers Speak. Will President Bush Listen?
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
>snip
Only 23 percent backed Mr. Bush's position that they should stay as long as necessary. In contrast, 72 percent said that U.S. troops should be pulled out within one year. Of those, 29 percent said they should withdraw "immediately."
>snip
While the White House emphasizes the threat from non-Iraqi terrorists, only 26 percent of the U.S. troops say that the insurgency would end if those foreign fighters could be kept out. A plurality believes that the insurgency is made up overwhelmingly of discontented Iraqi Sunnis.
>snip
By a two-to-one ratio, the troops said that "to control the insurgency we need to double the level of ground troops and bombing missions." And since there is zero chance of that happening, a majority of troops seemed to be saying that they believe this war to be unwinnable.
>snip
This first systematic look at the views of the U.S. troops on the ground suggests that our present strategy in Iraq is failing badly. The troops overwhelmingly don't want to "stay the course," and they don't seem to think the American strategy can succeed.
on edit: to add link