Read an old book: “Instructions for American Servicemen in Iraq During World War II.”
Don’t be boastful or arrogant when talking to Iraqis. Never stare at or try to talk to Iraqi women. Be prepared for a country that is blisteringly hot and dusty in the summer. Learn a few Arabic phrases. Remember that Arabs are some of the most relentless guerrilla fighters in the world. Use your best manners.
“American success or failure in Iraq may well depend on whether the Iraqis (as the people are called) like American soldiers or not,” the book says on its opening page. “It may not be quite that simple. But then again it could…”
“The nomads are divided into tribes headed by sheiks,” the book says. “These leaders are very powerful and should be shown great consideration…”
“The Iraqis have some religious and tribal differences among themselves.”
Yeah. Heard a bit about that.
I was at a lecture earlier in the summer hosted by the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park and LTC Nagl was the guest speaker (he also signed copies of How To Eat Soup With A Knife). What he’s quoted saying in the LATimes story echoes what he said to us.
I tell you, in a 75 minute presentation, + Q&A, he articulated the need to stay and finish the job there so clearly, thoughtfully and efficiently that several people I was with, who are no fans of the war, left fully agreeing with his argument.
No sense reinventing the wheel.
This is GREAT food for thought for now and the future. But it is also helpful, when we reflect on our history with Iraqi region, recent and not so recent. The big question is what do/did we learn?
Grumpy
Nagl’s introduction to the reprint of this little book bemoans that it wasn’t issued to anyone in 2003 when it might have done some good–because nobody who could connect the dots knew it existed.
There is nothing new under the sun, eh?
If they had only all seen the last scene of “Lawrence of Arabia”…
About two dozen sheiks are seated at a large round table with Lawrence in their midst. One sheik is in charge of the water, another the power, another the hospitals, one the schools, another the streets. You get the idea… and they’re all yelling, at each other, about why each sheiks opposing member cannot get his department of government to function. No luck, nothing works.
Slowly, Lawrence gets up from the table and leaves. The scene cuts to him leaving town on his camel. You can almost hear the sheiks still yelling in the background.
Simply a better understanding… may have worked wonders… with how we approached the problem.