If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

[RC]

US Marines are receiving instruction in appreciating the other side's point of view. From the Sunday Times online:

For a touch of realism, newcomers are supplied with traditional Arab garments and ordered to take off their shoes indoors. “You need to think of yourselves as mujaheddin, holy warriors,” the group is told, “and you aspire to be a shahid, a martyr killed in battle.”

In Ali G accents, the trainees learn to call out Allahu Akbar (God is most great) and Alhamdu Lillah (praise be to God). They are given a Penguin Classics translation of the Koran and an Islamic prayer mat and are shown how to pray.

“One reason you are strong is that the infidels go to church only on Sunday, but you kneel and reflect your submission to God five times a day,” Purdy told them in character.

“We don’t have nuclear weapons, but we have you and you are more powerful than the weapons of the Jewish dogs and infidel crusaders.”

For supper they are given pitta bread, tahini and stuffed vine leaves, which they poke at mistrustfully with their fingers — there is no cutlery. In a room next door are peanuts, chocolate bars and crisps for those who cannot cope. “The guys are only used to hamburgers,” said Purdy.


What will they think of next? :lol: As if the poor bastards were not confused enough already.

[NottyImp]

I'm not quite sure what this is meant to achieve. The notion that all islamists are "Holy Warriors" engaged in Jihad? The quotes seem to have more to do with US propaganda about Islam than it does about "seeing the other side's point of view".

[RC]

A link to the story HERE (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1399990,00.html) (I hope).

My take on it is, that someone in the Pentagon has decided that the Marines will have a better chance against the turrists if they can get inside the enemy's mind. With typical American arrogance they propose to do this by eating pita and owning (I don't quite see them actually reading any part of it) a copy of the Koran. Oh, and training exercises in which they call each other Abu.

[RC]

The conclusion of the article:

One marine had returned only six weeks ago from a seven-month posting in Iraq. He will be going back soon. “It’s what I do,” he said. Had the course taught him anything he had not learnt in the field? “It’s helped me to know how the enemy thinks and appreciate how sophisticated they are.”
If he were in charge, how would he deal with the Iraqis? “I’d kill them all,” he replied. “They don’t know what democracy is.”



There may still be a lot to learn.

[Maggie]

:cry:
Very sad ! Please remember, as all Islamics are not Jhadists, neither are all Americans of this mind set. For some of us this is an extremely hard time to be an American. The leaders, of our present government have embarrassed and shamed many American citizens.

It goes beyond any thought process I can muster up, to know how, after watching the first debate of the campaign, ANYONE could vote for George Bush ! :(

[gil]

I think they are trying in their way to improve their troops' understanding of the enemy. Britain's lesson, which the USA has never learned, on how to deal with a guerrilla / terrorist war, was carried out in Malaya in the 50s.

Units of the British Army went into the jungle for weeks on end, living in the same conditions as the enemy, eating the same food, visiting the same villages, speaking Malay, befriending the peacable people of the region, rather than kicking their doors down, and eventually defeating the terrorists at their own game.

I think this is an attempt to do something similar at the school desk.

As Churchill said, "The Americans can be relied upon to do the right thing, once they have exhausted all the alternatives."

[Maggie]

Hm-m-m-m Gil,
The quote from Churchill could very well apply to my adolescent years ! :?