Iraq, Afghan wars not worth it, many vets say

As the United States marks 10 years of war, only a third of the veterans of the post-9/11 era say that the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have both been worth fighting, according to a new Pew Research Center report.

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While a majority of veterans are proud of their military service, about half say that relying too much on military might to defeat terrorist organizations fuels hatred and that only begets more terrorism.

They are among the key findings from the Pew Research Center, which explored the experiences and attitudes of post-9/11 veterans, pre-9/11 veterans and the general public. Researchers explored such matters as sacrifice, patriotism, the worth of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the best way to fight terrorism, and the gaps in understanding between the military and civilians. The report, titled "The Military-Civilian Gap," was to be released Wednesday.

Read the Pew report on veterans attitudes (PDF)

The findings resulted from two nationwide surveys the Pew Research Center conducted late this summer, as the 10th anniversary of the start of the war in Afghanistan approached.

A total of 1,853 veterans were surveyed, including 712 who served in the military after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The general public survey was conducted among 2,003 adult respondents, the Pew Research Center reported.

Key findings:

• Half of post-9/11 veterans say the war in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, while about 44 percent view the conflict in Iraq the same way. Only one-third (34 percent) say that both wars have been worth fighting and 33 percent say that neither war has been worth the cost.
• Forty-four percent of post-9/11 veterans report that they have had difficulties readjusting to civilian life, and 37 percent say that ? whether or not they have been diagnosed ? they have suffered from post-traumatic stress.
• Eighty-four percent of these modern-era veterans say the general American public has little or no understanding of the problems they face, with 71 percent of the public agreeing.
• Overall, 16 percent of post-9/11 veterans report they were seriously injured while serving in the military, and most of the injuries were combat-related. Forty-seven percent say they know and have served with someone who was killed while in the military.
• Many Americans agree that since the terror attacks in the U.S., the military and their families have made more sacrifices than the general public. But even among this group, only 26 percent say this gap is ?unfair,? while 70 percent say that it?s ?just part of being in the military".
• A vast majority, expressed pride in the troops and three-quarters say they thanked someone in the military. But a 45 percent plurality say neither of the post-9/11 wars has been worth the cost and only a quarter say they are following news of the wars closely. Half of the public said the wars have made little difference in their lives.
• About half (51 percent) of post-9/11 veterans say that the use of military force to fight terrorism creates hatred that breeds more terrorism; 40 percent say it is the best way to defeat terrorism. These views are nearly identical to those of the general public.
• When asked about the draft, both veterans and the public agreed: The nation should not bring back the military draft, which was ended in 1973. Among post-9/11 veterans, 82 percent said they're against reinstating the draft, compared with 66 percent of pre-9/11 era veterans and 74 percent of the general public.

The survey also showed that post-9/11 veterans are more likely than Americans as a whole to call themselves Republicans and to disapprove of President Barack Obama's performance as commander in chief. They also are more likely than earlier generations of veterans to have no religious affiliation.

There are about 98,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, where the conflict began with a U.S.-led invasion on Oct. 7, 2001. Obama campaigned for the presidency in 2008 on getting out of Iraq and ramping up the military campaign in Afghanistan. He is on track to have all U.S. troops out of Iraq by the end of this year, and in July he announced that he would pull 10,000 troops out of Afghanistan this year and 23,000 more by next September.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44777299/ns/us_news-life/

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