40,000 U.S. soldiers have deserted from military since 2000: report Is it true?

Question

Some 40,000 personnel from all branches of the U.S. military have deserted since 2000, U.S. media quoted Pentagon sources as saying Tuesday.

From the total, more than half had served in the U.S. Army, according to the report.

Anti-war organizations said that the mass desertions were due to the strong resistance to war which is more prevalent than the military has openly admitted.

"They (U.S. military) lied in Vietnam about the amount of opposition to the war and they're lying now," said Eric Seitz, an attorney who represents Army Lt. Ehren Watada, the first commissioned officer to refuse to join his brigade when it was sent to Iraq last month. He is now under military custody in Fort Lewis, Washington.

http://english.people.com.cn/200608/09/eng20060809_291225.html

one more link...

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/080506X.shtml

Answer 1

Thank God we have brave young men and women fighting for your rights. I spent 30 years in the Marines And have seen it all, Thank God not all are cowards like you. but enjoy your freedom and keep asking stupid questions, but remember while you are typing on your computer there are brave Americans out there putting there lives on the line for you to enjoy your freedom. After 30 years of fighting around the world I've seen it all, And I can't get mad at morons like you, I just grin and understand that my sacrifices and all my brothers that never came home were worth it, So you can still live in this great country and say what you want. Oh and by the way, I was in Khe San in 1968 and the military didn't lie to us, the politic ions did. MGSGT WOODALL USMC RETIRED.

Answer 2

I would have to to hear that figure come directly from the mouth of someone at the Pentagon. I notice the story said Pentagon sources, and how come anytime a story sounds a little out there, they never give a name....It's just a source!
And why on earth would people have started deserting as early as 2000, when we didn't even go to war until 2003? I mean I don't agree with it, but if they started deserting after the war started, or even after September 11th happened and they knew we would probably end up fighting, that would sound more logical.
If these statistics are true, people that blame President Bush for all the Military problems should rethink what they have said! Wasn't Clinton in office in 2000?

Answer 3

"War is Hell".

Joker: "Ever shoot any women or children?"
Helicopter Gunner: "Sumtahms."
Joker: "How can you do that?"
Helicopter Gunner: "Easy - you just don't lead "em so much. Harharhar."
Helicopter Gunner grinning to Joker: "Ain't War Hell?"

"In Iraq The Wind Doesn't Blow It Sucks."

-- all paraphrased from Full Metal Jacket.

I do not draw any comparison with Vietnam. It is too simple and foolish. Personally, I find comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam odious - whether they are made by Stop The War (who love these comparisons) and Muslims or pro-Westerners.

I would not dignify cowardly Al Qaida, Hezbollah or the Taliban with the courtesy of being compared to Real Fighters and Guerrillas like Charlie - the VC (Viet Cong) who had the support of the people and peasantry and were not just another Sectarian terrorist organisation in a religious civil war (e.g. Shia vs Sunni).
That would be a gross insult to the VC.

The Viet Cong were fighting for a completely different set of values than Al Qaida, Hezbollah or the Taliban, which have more in common with us than Sharia Law.

In fact the situation could not be more different. North Iraq (Kurdistan) unlike North Vietnam supports the USA. South Iraq is split in a fratricidal sectarian religious civil war pitting Sunni against Shia, and the West is caught in the middle.

I think more constructive insights can be learnt from studying past history in the Middle East.

The word "Assassin" actually comes from Arabic. It was coined from a secretive extremist Shia Jihadi Arabic-Iranian Terrorist organisation based in Lebanon and Iran called the Hashisham (Assassins) of Alamut. They were founded by Hassan i Sabbah of the Persian Ismai'ili sect in 1090. Their Mission was to kill Western Infidels and Crusaders, but they also killed a lot of other Muslims they did not like. They also conducted lots of Suicide Missions. They were major players in the international Drugs trade. The Assassins of Alamut, it is said liked to imbibe copious quantities of Hashish before they assassinated someone. Hence the origin of the word "Assassin". The Assassins were finally destroyed by the Mongols under Genghis Khan. This was greeted with much joy by orthodox Muslims. The Assassins have been a blue print for many of the modern Terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah.

No change in the Middle East there then!

Me Love You Long Time.

Yours The Hebrew Hammer a.k.a. Mordechai Jefferson Carver

Fighting For Peace and Justice

"I'd Rather be a Hammer than a Nail" -- Simon & Garfunkel

Answer 4

The media can't even cover a war without doctoring pictures and making up stories out of whole cloth, Example Qana they stated 60 dead and later reported 29 That number is dubious that you quoted
also the Media (OLD) has not said anything about The Saddam files nor the recent discovery of WMD in Iraq. What ever you choose to believe, the information you are getting is at best questionable.

Answer 5

No the reports are not true other wise the attorney you quoted would not be recognizing the FIRST soldier to refuse to go to Iraq. As a matter of fact reenlistment by soldiers already in the military is much higher than normal. Plus I would say they are trying to count every soldier that came back from liberty or leave late. Alot of us did that just by getting drunk and waking up an hour late for morning muster

Answer 6

These would be men that went in just to get the college bill.

They maybe they did lie, they are politicians running a war, scared shitless of the russians with nucs.

Lt. Watada signed paperwork in regards to disobeying an order from a superior officer, he knew the consequences very well.

Answer 7

Everyone should desert this army,as Bush is sending them to the slaughterhouse,while staying safely in White house.
Going to the war nowadays is suicide!You come back either in a coffin,crazy or wounded so bad,and some don't even have insurance or protection.The only reason for war is to make some individuals richer and richer through aquisition of oil fields,opium fields and other wealth of foreign countries,and at the same time causing havoc in these countries.No sane person should cooperate with such insanity,as they will have to suffer the terrible consquences of karma-reaction to their bad action...for a long time,as childrens' lives are involved.
There is no holy war,or fight for freedom,as
they try to persuade you,only demoniac dominance over weaker ones.

Answer 8

a minimum of 8,000 contributors of the all-volunteer U.S. protection rigidity have abandoned because of the fact the Iraq conflict began, Pentagon information coach, ***in spite of the undeniable fact that the final desertion fee has plunged because of the fact the Sept. 11 assaults in 2001*** human beings have been deserting the armed centers for hundreds of years. It happens because of the fact some basically can no longer adjust to being faraway from companion and young babies or can no longer cope with protection rigidity life. the object additionally is going directly to declare that when some months, maximum come again on their very own. BTW: .24% desertion fee beats 32-40 seven% dropout fee for college. do no longer take the numbers too heavily. No, i do no longer think of we would desire to consistently nonetheless be in Iraq, yet do no longer sell our infantrymen short. There has in hassle-free terms been one recorded deserter from the Iraq front because of the fact the conflict began.

Answer 9

Actually , those numbers are average for any 6 year period, less than 1% of the total .
Sounds like a lot until you do the math .
The same goes for casualty figures until you do the math .
Try it and don't beleive everything you hear until you have run the numbers.

Answer 10

First of all this is good news. Great news. The soldiers know they fight for the neocon agenda and not freedom. they know their life is worth more than oil so they give up to live another day.
Good for them for thinking for themsleves. hopefully more of them follow suit.
They arent fighting for our freedom now they are fighting for a wannabe dictators agenda. They are aware of that so of course they desert.
It restores someof my faith in Humanity!!