Apparently, there is no truth to the rumor that calls for withdrawing troops from Iraq is demoralizing the troops.
In fact, calls for withdrawal have the troops standing and cheering, as this story demonstrates:.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A call by Puerto Rico’s governor for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq earned a standing ovation Saturday from a conference of more than 4,000 National Guardsmen.
Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila said the U.S. administration has "no new strategy and no signs of success" and that prolonging the war would needlessly put guardsmen in harm’s way.
This happened at the opening of the 129th National Guard Association general conference. There are about 1,800 Guardsmen from Puerto Rico currently in Iraq.
"The daily death toll of Americans and their allies has caused irreparable anguish here in Puerto Rico, and throughout the country. The same could be said for the people of Iraq," Acevedo said.
Here's the thing, though -- this story was moved by the Associated Press and it has gotten almost zero coverage. Try to find it in your local paper. It's even difficult finding it with a Google search.
On the other hand, if 4,000 Guardsmen stood and cheered for a call to stay the course you can bet it would be 24/7 on cable TV news.
Update:
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey spoke to the Guardsmen group on Sunday and splashed cold wateron everyone:
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: The U.S. Army's chief of staff said Sunday that he believes the ideological struggle against Muslim extremism being waged by the United States and its allies will last for decades.
Gen. George Casey made the remarks at the 129th National Guard Association of the United States conference at San Juan's convention center, after a military chaplain asked Casey what victory would look like.
"Frankly, it's not going to be won until Muslim moderates achieve success over Muslim extremists," Casey told hundreds of National Guard representatives from all over the United States. "It's going to be an ideological struggle that I think is going to play out over the next several decades, much like the Cold War."
The Army's job in Iraq and Afghanistan is to help keep extremists groups from prevailing in the Middle East and from attacking America, he said.