Citizen Opinion and Influence on the Iraq War

With the number of news sources in existence today and the speed at which information spreads across the Internet, getting up-to-date information on world conflicts is as easy and immediate as clicking your mouse’s button. Currently, one of the most talked-about conflicts in our country is the Iraq War.

Iraq War Background

The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War and sometimes as Operation Iraqi Freedom, began in March 2003 and, as of yet, has no end in sight. The war began because many leading international officials, including President George W. Bush, asserted that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction (WoMD), which would be a direct threat to the United States.
 
President Bush consistently refers to the Iraq War as the central front to the War on Terrorism, stating that the country needs to remain strong and not retreat so that the US can defeat terrorism. When the Iraq War began, most Americans were behind President Bush.

Public Approval of the Iraq War

In 2003, both Congress and 77 percent of the American people supported President Bush’s ideas about waging war in Iraq to fight terrorism. At the time, President Bush had a 64 percent approval rating, with only 29 percent of Americans disapproving of his policies. Although some protested back in 2003, the media seemed so pro-war that protesters barely made the news.

The Change in Public Opinion About the Iraq War

Since 2003, however, Congress, the American people and even some U.S. troops have since changed their minds. Over the years, information has surfaced that President Bush had no real evidence that Iraq was creating WoMD. This fact is leading many authorities to believe that the Iraq War is actually serving to increase terrorism, which is of course the opposite of its original goals.

This new evidence has made it to the American people through television, radio, newspapers, magazines, Web sites and more. As a result, as of 2007, a majority of Americans believe that troops should be withdrawn, or at least should be gradually pulled out of Iraq. A recent survey exposed the fact that less than 30 percent of American citizens support the Iraq War. Similarly, President Bush’s approval ratings have plummeted to 29 percent.

With the American people’s changing sentiments about the Iraq War, Congress began to push for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq back in 2006. Many members of Congress are still fighting to establish timetables and deadlines for troop withdrawal.

Despite the loss of support and the overwhelming evidence that public opinion is against him, President Bush still pushes forward with the Iraq War. This has led to a great deal of conflict within the United States and has spurned much protesting against the war.

Many Americans now believe that President Bush’s war will only be stopped with the election of a new president. Based on the conservative president’s current public opinion rating (even some Republicans’ support is waning for President Bush and the Iraq War), many Americans are leaning toward electing a Democratic president.

The continuation of the war despite decreasing support has led to public unrest, protests and increased campaigning against the Iraq War and President Bush.

International Opinion of the Iraq War

The United States isn’t the only country opposed to the Iraq War. A majority of Iraqi citizens (51 percent) now view it as acceptable to attack American troops.
 
The percentage of Iraq War approval in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, India, Russia and Spain, among others, all had severely decreased by 2006.

Consequences

The American people are in a state of unrest when it comes to the Iraq War. It’s nearly impossible to bring up the subject without spurning a heated, hours-long debate. However, even without the approval of Congress, the Americans or international allies, President Bush continues to foster the Iraq War. Unfortunately, this war now carries a negative association in the eyes Americans, as well as the rest of the world.
 
Resources
 
Alternet (2007). War on Iraq. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from the Alternet Web site: http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/.
 
CNN (2007). Iraq: Transition of Power. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from the CNN Web site: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/iraq.transition/.
 
CNN (2004). Poll: Iraq Taking Toll On Bush. Retrieved July 26, 2007 from the CNN Web site: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/24/opinion/polls/
main619122.shtml.
 
Space War (2006). Citizen Bush. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from the Space War Web site: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Citizen_Bush_999.html.
 
Yahoo! News (2007). Full Coverage: Iraq. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from the Yahoo! News Web site: http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Iraq.