By Yang Qingchuan  

Things seem different from previous years as the United States commemorated the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war on Thursday.

With a clear timetable to pull out US troops in Iraq and a shift to Afghanistan, and the US economy in distress, much less attention is being paid to the war in Iraq this year than before.

However, the traumatic effects of the war on every aspect of American lives will not ebb and could last for a long period, analysts said.  

US anti-war demonstrators stage a protest in New York, the United States, March 19, 2009, marking the 6th anniversary of the start of Iraq war. [Xinhua]

War Fatigue

Many observers have noted the fact that the American public's interest in the war has been waning in recent years. The so-called "Iraq war fatigue" has several reasons.

First, the war's relevance to the average American family's pocketbook "wears thin" amid the worsening economic situation, according to Steven Roberts, a professor at George Washington University.

"No matter how overwhelming the war was in terms of public opinion and priorities, it never directly affected most Americans as the economy has," he said.

Based on recent polling and exit results from last year's presidential elections, the war is no longer a big concern for Americans.

The economy was the top issue for 62 percent of voters questioned on election day on Nov. 4, 2008.

The Iraq war was a distant second, with 10 percent saying it was their top concern.

The media outlets, under economic pressure, have less resources to report the war, which has also helped divert US viewers' attention away from Iraq.

Secondly, the improving ground situation in Iraq and a clear withdrawal timetable announced by President Barack Obama last month has helped to settle much of the public anxiety over Iraq.

A latest Gallup poll found 62 percent of Americans believe the country "can win" the war in Iraq and 42 percent feel it "will win," the most optimistic view of the war since 2006.

Finally, as the Bush administration, which launched the war six years ago, is no longer in power, anti-war groups have less rationale to mobilize more mass protests.

"Obviously after six years, Americans are going to be a little sick of it," Michael O'Hanlon, an expert at the Brookings Institution, said.