Hi Col-

When you get a moment, your commentary & appraisal on the following (big graphic)PDF would be appreciated.

Yes, years too late to start with but an attempt:

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/usmc/iraqsmart-0506.pdf

Queer thing. I guess this is destined to US military personnel. I presume enlisted, likely of low educational levels. Seems appropriate more or less. Not sure such documentation make much of a difference, unless tied to a larger effort.

I recall saying on a message board in early 03 that I hoped the US military would be intelligent in its use of firepower, attention to "collateral damage" and not achieve Pyrrhic victories, but sadly my fears were realised.

If forces did not even have these kinds of documents, well that is just piss poor.

Thank you for reviewing it. You are correct, it is intended for enlisted personnel and very junior NCO's I believe, fresh in Iraq from someplace else.

Unfortunately, it is something brand new or at least, of fairly recent vintage.

An expert could quibble with some of the things there, but I would regard the quibbling as a mistake. As a quick and dirty orientation on Iraqi society - I presume on a two sided plastified sheet - this is not bad.

Of course, it should have been done in March 03.

"Of course, it should have been done in March 03."

Agreed.

The Army bureaucracy dragged its feet on cultural awareness because it wanted an in-and-out- operation free of anything that looked like COIN, nation-building or peacekeeping. A good part of it was civilian policy but frankly, the services are supposed to have contingency plans and FAO/DIA staffing in place at the theater HQ.