BUSH ADMITS MISTAKES VALLEY RESIDENTS RESPOND.President George W. Bush's plan to deploy more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq has little popular support across the country, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. public opinion polls. And in a sampling of opinion at several locations around the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , the Daily News found views locally pretty much reflected those of the nation. A few, like Dave Gebhardt, believe that the president's strategy doesn't go anywhere near far enough and he should send a lot more troops. ``He needs to clean it up fast.'' T.C. Johnson of Lancaster called the war in Iraq ``senseless'' like Vietnam where he saw duty, while Jessica Guzman of North Hollywood expressed the view of many in calling the troop surge ``a bad idea.'' ``You have to fight evil and fight those who fight freedom. I don't support sending more troops, but I back Bush. We have to trust our leader and what he's doing.'' -- Anna Montano 64, Porter Ranch ranch, large farm devoted chiefly to raising and breeding cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. The cattle ranch was introduced from Latin America to Texas and the plains of the W United States and Canada. ``I feel this is an ill-advised operation. The unrest in the area is uncontrollable. This is a war within a war. At this time, I feel our presence there and increasing militarily will inflame the society and will turn the world against us. This belongs with the United Nations. If we don't engage them, we won't succeed.'' -- Jim Patton, 54, Oxnard who served in the Navy during Operation Desert Storm Noun 1. Operation Desert Storm - the United States and its allies defeated Iraq in a ground war that lasted 100 hours (1991) Gulf War, Persian Gulf War - a war fought between Iraq and a coalition led by the United States that freed Kuwait from Iraqi invaders; ``The best strategy for us is to prop up the Iraqis and get out. Sending in more troops is a disaster. They will only be targets. I imagine there will be more American and Iraqi casualties, and for what? This is a corporate war over oil. That's all they have. That's all we want.'' -- Neil Margolin 63, Tarzana ``I don't think it's a good idea -- not at this time. In the beginning we were under the impression that this war had to do with 9-11 and weapons of mass destruction Weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction and/or of being used in such a manner as to destroy large numbers of people. Weapons of mass destruction can be high explosives or nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological weapons, but exclude the means of transporting or , but now that doesn't appear to be the link. In the service, young men and women die. For what reason? That's what is troublesome.'' -- Raffi Chalian 42, Calabasas ``I think they should talk to the Iraqi people, and if they want us to leave, we should. The place is upside Upside The potential dollar amount by which the market or a stock could rise. Notes: This is basically an educated guess on how high a stock could go in the near future. See also: Bull, Downside down, and we did that. We can't impose democracy on them. We'll never win.'' -- Sean Steen 36, Toluca Lake ``They should bring most of the troops home from Iraq instead of sending more. People are getting murdered there, especially the Iraqis. And this is causing more tension with countries over there.'' -- Jessica Guzman 25, North Hollywood ``If they don't have a solution to this war, then no, they shouldn't send more troops. What are they sending them out there for? I think they really need to figure out a conclusion.'' -- Julian Johnson 35, San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. ``It's not the right answer. Even if he sends one, two or millions -- it won't do anything for their country. Bush went after the wrong person. I believe he should have gone after Bin Laden.'' -- Lucy Arrieta 45, Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. ``It's a bad idea. The troops aren't able to keep the peace over there. They're just getting killed. We're not getting anything good from that.'' -- Leslie Peralta 35, Pacoima ``We need to send at least 100,000 more troops. They should have done that two years ago. He keeps trying to do this in tiny increments, and it's not working. He needs to clean it up fast.'' -- Dave Gebhardt 67, Sylmar ``I don't believe more people should be sent over. They should work toward an agreement with the insurgents Insurgents, in U.S. history, the Republican Senators and Representatives who in 1909–10 rose against the Republican standpatters controlling Congress, to oppose the Payne-Aldrich tariff and the dictatorial power of House speaker Joseph G. Cannon. to end this war.'' -- Carlos Pineda 21, Maywood ``I think it's wrong. Enough people have been killed already. There comes a point in time when the Iraqis should stand up and fight for their own.'' -- Eileen Fay 71, San Fernando ``If the troops we have there now need the support, it's a good strategy. It would save lives.'' -- Stephen Moffett 52, Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. veteran ``This is another senseless sense·less adj. 1. Lacking sense or meaning; meaningless. 2. Deficient in sense; foolish or stupid. 3. Insensate; unconscious. war. It's senseless to send 20,000 more men to do what he should have done in the beginning -- go in there and take over.'' -- T.C. Johnson 56, Lancaster Vietnam War veteran sue.doyle(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3746 CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1 -- color) PATTON (2 -- color) STEEN (3 -- color) GUZMAN (4 -- color) GEBHARDT (5 -- color) PINEDA |
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