Marines in Fallujah trade 'culturally sensitive' training for bullets

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | April 14, 2004 | Lourdes Navarro

[murphyslaw]

The Marines were hoping to lull Fallujah and al-Anbar province into a state of well-being by passing out $540 million in rebuilding funds, and showing off a more educated attitude about Arab sensitivities than they believed their U.S. Army predecessors displayed. Before returning to Iraq, the Marines took a crash course in cultural training that included a video teleconference with an Arabic studies professor and the distribution of a culture handbook with tips warning against showing the soles of their feet or eating with their left hands. Around three dozen Marines from one unit took a three week intensive language course in Arabic. And of course, they grew mustaches.

"We grew them for the Iraqi people. We shaved them off for us," Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne, who originally ordered his men to sport the facial hair, said. These days, the Marines are speaking a more familiar language. "We didn't initiate this," said 1st Marine Regiment Commander Col. John Toolen. "I came in here with more money than bullets. Now I'm running out of bullets but the money is still in my pocket."

[Post Toasties]

Here's an idea for Fallujah. Search every dwelling and possible storage site, confiscate everything more dangerous than a butter knife and shoot anybody who tries to resist.

[jwalburg]

Great article!

[SpyGuy]

When will the emasculated PC generals (ushered in by Clinton, Boxer, Schroeder, and other feminists/leftists) realize that you defeat and civilize the enemy by killing the leadership and forcing the rest to think like YOU, not by thinking like them and trying to make friends.

[murphyslaw]

I agree. Let our soldiers fight like warriors against the enemy. Take the politically correct social worker handcuffs off. I think its shameful that the GI's have been stuck in this untenable situation. In this regard I see no difference between the Democrats and Republicans. Fighting a war has been bred out of them. Both parties only want to "be liked" by the world.

[Smartass]

[68skylark]

It's a good cartoon -- except it's the Army that's taking care of Moqtada, not the Marines.

[HHFi]

Here's all you need to know about Arab culture: They fear and respect strength, and they view compassion, empathy and wailing over war and casualties as weakness and greet it with contempt and violence.

We need to start considering mosques full of terrorists to be exactly what they are: a wonderfully convenient target, like being able to wipe out an anthill instead of swatting each individual ant. We're supposed to respect mosques because they're "holy places." Well, they ain't holy to me, and if they let terrorists hide out there with guns and bombs, then they obviously aren't very holy to them. So whom, exactly, are they holy to? Harvard multicultural studies professors who don't believe in God? I don't see why their delicate sensibilities are worth the lives of American soldiers.

[no dems]

FOR REAL!