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US Marines Honing Up on Iraq Culture and Islam
The handbook is not a bad read, but it runs to 124 pagesArab News As the Marine Corps prepares to redeploy into Iraq, theyâre honing up on more than weapons and offensive tactics. This time, theyâre also learning about Arab culture and Islam. âA better educated Marine is less likely to make mistakes on the ground,â said Lt. Col. Nicholas Klaus, deputy director of the Washington-based Marine Corps Institute. Discussing the launch of the Marine Corps handbook, âIraq: an Introduction to the Country and People,â he said, âWe want to help the Marines better understand the Iraqi people by increasing their knowledge of this region.â High-ranking Marines have told this correspondent there are plans to increase interaction with Iraqis and emphasize respect to civilians. Most of the upcoming deployments will occur in the next two months, they said, when platoons of Marines will be sent to live among Iraqis in their towns and villages. âTo successfully do this, theyâll need to know about the people, culture, religion and history of the country,â Klaus told Arab News. âLast year, when we knew we were going back into Iraq, we thought it would be important to educate Marines and give them some background history and knowledge of the culture to help them better relate to the Iraqis. Weâre not trying to make them experts, just trying to give them general information, because with better education theyâre less likely to make mistakes on the ground.â Recognizing that most Marines are in the 18-to-22 year age bracket, and that many have not been exposed to other cultures, Klaus said the handbook is intended to be an objective educational reference. âWe tried to put it in a style they could immediately grasp and understand,â said David Garnett, director of the Student Services Department at the Marine Corps Institute, who researched and wrote the handbook and has extensive experience in the Mideast. Last year, the handbook was only available on the web; the new edition will also be available in hardback form. âIn a deployed environment, access to computers is extremely limited,â said Klaus. âNow Marines wonât have to be plugged into anything to access it.â How the handbook will be utilized is up to the commanders of individual units, said Klaus. âThey will be responsible in deciding how they want to use it. Some will have formal instruction and have people teach portions of it, others will just hand it out and tell them to read it.â The objective, he said, âis to ensure our Marines are not going in blind.â The newly-reissued 124-page handbook not only covers basics about the culture, history, religion, culture and people, but also delves into analysis. It has already made key changes and updates, which cover the end of conflict, the capture of Saddam Hussein, and added more history and background information. Future editions will include a specific language section and details on customs, said Klaus and Garnett. For more information, log onto: www.mci.usmc.mil and click onto the square box icon on the left, entitled âIraq.â Posted by: tipper 2004-02-01 |
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