President George Bush is trying to convince US citizens and the world at large, that the increasingly negative public perceptions about the US invasion and continued occupation of Iraq are a result of media spin. Every member of his administration is claiming that if we had gone there ourselves, like they have, we would know that the situation is very different and that Iraqis continue to be grateful to the US for liberating them from Saddam. The letters and news in the Stars and Stripes newspaper, catering to the Americans actually operating on the ground in Iraq, belie that claim.

Since the beginning of the invasion at least 13 US troops have committed suicide in Iraq. This represents more than 10% of US non-combatant deaths. The army has now sent a suicide prevention expert to Iraq. The Stars and Stripes recently commissioned a survey of 1,935 troops stationed in Iraq. The survey found that 49% of the respondants believed that the morale in their unit as very low or low, 49% said it was unlikely that they would re-enlist and 31% said that they thought that the war had not been worthwhile. 35% complained that their mission was not clearly defined. Letters to the Stars and Stripes also highlight the fact that those who are open about morale problems have faced disciplinary action.

President Bush has chosen to ignore, at least for sometime, the voices of US soldiers in Iraq for several reasons. A key reason is that the vast majority of these soldiers come from disadvantaged backgrounds – mostly working class White, Black and Hispanic families, are the key recruiting grounds for the US army. These people have never been part of President Bush’s priorities.

The Independent (UK) reported in September this year, “senior Pentagon officials have identified Latinos as by far the most promising ethnic group for recruitment, because their numbers are growing rapidly in the US and they include a plentiful supply of low-income men of military age with few other job or educational prospects. Recruitment efforts have also extended to non-citizens, who have been told by the Bush administration that they can apply for citizenship the day they join up, rather than waiting the standard five years after receiving their green card. More than 37,000 non-citizens, almost all Latino, are currently enlisted. Recruiters have even crossed the border into Mexico - to the fury of the Mexican authorities - to look for school-leavers who may have US residency papers. … Latinos are already doing the most dangerous combat jobs in disproportionate numbers.”

Many from the disadvantaged communities join the army for lack of better job options. Others join because the US army funds students through college in return for active service after graduation. The American elite is almost completely un-represented among Uncle Sam’s foot soldiers. If they do enlist, there is no reason why they should be exposed to the horrors of service in a real war zone. Thus none of the offspring of current US Senate and Congress members is serving in Iraq.

Drowning out the voices of these disadvantaged and misdirected youth serving in Iraq, are the powerful neo-conservative ideologues in White House. These neo-cons have so far shown a blatant disregard for popular opinion in pursuit of the corporate ends of a few companies as well as the undisputed hegemony of US policy decisions, and are likely to continue to do so in future.

Thus, the situation is truly tragic. Even when the Iraqis are able to inflict casualties on the occupiers, it is only the foot soldier, the underprivileged, working class youth that dies. And despite the recent setbacks that the US has suffered in Iraq, there seems to be no respite for these young American men in sight. As George Galloway, a UK MP and recently evicted (due to his outspoken opposition to the war on Iraq) Labour party member suggested on a recent visit to Cambridge University: The history of imperial powers on a rampage does not encourage us to expect a quick resolution.

Mr. Galloway reminded the audience that, “the deeper they [the Americans] got into trouble in Vietnam the more they escalated and spread the war. The bombing is not working, do more bombing. One million soldiers is (sic) not succeeding, make it two million. Pulverizing Vietnam is not working, attack Cambodia.” Galloway went on to describe how President Bush has already started trying to build public opinion against potential targets for the future by banning Americans from travelling to Cuba, and “shelving the Pope” to give the Noble peace prize to an Iranian dissident.

Thus, while the anti-war movement can rightly count amongst its key achievements the fact that it is has made waging war on Iran and Syria much harder for the US and UK governments at one level, it is important to realize that such a war is still not impossible. President Bush is in an increasingly desperate situation. His approval rating has plunged to 49% (NBC/Wall Street Journal poll), a 39% drop from his highest rating, right after 9/11. According to a recent New York Times/CBS poll, "Americans are for the first time more critical than not of President Bush's ability to handle both foreign and domestic problems." Only 38% of US voters now think that America is "headed in the right direction" under Bush. Around 50% think that "things are off on the wrong track."

Faced with mounting unpopularity the US unilateralist machinery could go into overdrive reasoning that Bush’s popularity has been highest before the invasions so another invasion close to the election period might save him. But these invasions carry the risk of more casualties, and in election times, the deaths of even the voiceless US soldiers in Iraq could matter.

The solution is of course using soldiers who are not only voiceless but also faceless for the US audience, i.e., from countries like Pakistan. Their deaths will not be an election issue. Add to it an even greater propaganda campaign, weeding out any semblance of truth from TV accounts of the situation in Iraq, and the approval ratings could be going up again.

Indeed, loyal party members have already started making the right noises. Republican Newt Gingrich suggests that the Bush administration's only real problem is bad performance on "the communication side." According to leading Republican political strategist Grover Norquist, they only really need to tell the Americans "how much Bush has accomplished economically and how much more he could accomplish, despite Democratic opposition in Congress, if he had four more years." Similarly at the Labour Party Conference a few weeks back, Tony Blair refused to discuss the Iraq question and the only flaw he admitted to was his failure to communicate clearly to the people of Britain all the gains that had been made during his tenure.

Unless other countries can be bullied or bought into sending their men to wage America’s war, the US soldiers will have to contend with more ‘communication’. Lets see if the Stars and Stripes reports back to the troops that the only problem is the media. The deaths of their comrades, their confusion regarding the purpose of this occupation, their pariah status among the majority of Iraqis, is only a figment of their imagination. Perhaps they would believe it. Perhaps that would stem the tide of suicides among them.