International-World wants U.S. withdrawal from Iraq
Summary: A survey of 23,193 people from 22 countries found that 39% of people believe American soldiers should pull out of Iraq now, while only 23% believe our forces should stay until Iraq is safe. The participants were asked whether coalition troops should pull out of Iraq immediately, gradually withdrawal over a year, or stay until the country's security situation improves. Half of those questioned also believed U.S. troops would remain stationed in Iraq in large permanent bases.
Opinion: The survey results come out just as the US, UK, and Australia have vowed to keep their troops present in Iraq until the country is secure. This survey is important because it gives an idea of how unpopular the war in Iraq, not only in America but around the world. It is important to understand how the fallout from the war has affected the image of the US around the world. In most countries the public believes the US to be a bully caught up with it's super power status and only concerned with promoting it's own interests. While these sentiments may not be entirely true, our actions do little to disprove them.
Opinion: The survey results come out just as the US, UK, and Australia have vowed to keep their troops present in Iraq until the country is secure. This survey is important because it gives an idea of how unpopular the war in Iraq, not only in America but around the world. It is important to understand how the fallout from the war has affected the image of the US around the world. In most countries the public believes the US to be a bully caught up with it's super power status and only concerned with promoting it's own interests. While these sentiments may not be entirely true, our actions do little to disprove them.
National-US terror law is unconstitutional
Summary: Judge Victor Marrero ruled Congress has overstepped it's authority by authorizing the FBI to keep requests for information secret under the Patriot Act, a bill passed in the tumultuous times following 9/11. Judge Marrero says the the act violated the principle of checks and balances and the right to free speech. If the ruling stands the FBI will have to justify why the request should be kept secret. In the year before 9/11 the FBI made around 8,500 national security letter requests, in the years following the number of requests has risen as high as 56,000 in 2004. Most of the requests involved financial, telephone, and internet records.
Opinion: The provisions of the Patriot Act have always been highly controversial and Judge Marrero's ruling can be seen as a victory for those who wish to see the powers provided for in the Act watered down. The controversy stems mainly from the argument over how much power the government should have when it comes to combating terrorism. Some believe the government should be able to do whatever it takes regardless of the law because that is what it will take to stop the terrorist threat. Others believe the government should jump through hoops before it takes any action to ensure that all action taken is legal and just. I personally am in the middle, the government needs extraordinary powers to be sure but it is not above the law and has a responsibility to use those powers in the right way. Something the Bush administration has shown it is not capable of doing.
Opinion: The provisions of the Patriot Act have always been highly controversial and Judge Marrero's ruling can be seen as a victory for those who wish to see the powers provided for in the Act watered down. The controversy stems mainly from the argument over how much power the government should have when it comes to combating terrorism. Some believe the government should be able to do whatever it takes regardless of the law because that is what it will take to stop the terrorist threat. Others believe the government should jump through hoops before it takes any action to ensure that all action taken is legal and just. I personally am in the middle, the government needs extraordinary powers to be sure but it is not above the law and has a responsibility to use those powers in the right way. Something the Bush administration has shown it is not capable of doing.
1 comment:
You can't run a war by polls. If so, we would have pulled out of Germany in 1944 after the Normandy invasion if the public would have known that 1500+ had been killed in two days. Or how about Japan and losing 2,000+ on Iwo Jima. People never have the stomach for war when they know everything.
This judge is an example of those who really don't take this war on terrorism seriously--until we are attacked again because we couldn't monitor the bad guys.
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