2003 Army Iraq Booklet: “Arabs Are Reluctant To Accept Responsibility”

The 101st Airborne surely meant well in 2003 when it published a guidebook for soldiers on Arab culture. U.S. troops could hardly be expected to know going into Iraq that, for instance, it’s a sign of disrespect to show someone the sole of your foot, and it’s better to avoid giving offense in the first place than potentially disrupt an emerging U.S.-Iraqi relationship. But the advice offered in the guidebook, it turns out, runs the gamut from respectful to hokey to offensive:

* There is little virtue in a frank exchange. Getting down to business may always occur at a later meeting or a more informal setting such as dinner.
* Arabs, by American standards, are reluctant to accept responsibility… if responsibility is accepted and something goes wrong, the Arab is dishonored.
* Arabs operate by personal relations more than by time constraints.
* Arabs do not believe in upward mobility or social status; they gain status by being born in the right family.
* Arabs do not shake hands firmly. If an Arab does not touch you, it usually means that he does not like you.
* It is said that the Arab likes to feel your breath in their face. As you back away, the Arab will continue to shuffle forward. This is known as the “diplomatic shuffle.”
* An Arab sees friendships with anyone outside the family as meaning, “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”

The guidebook was prepared 101st Airborne Division in 2003, which at the time was commanded by then-Major General David Petraeus. You’d think someone who emphasizes the importance of understanding a host country’s culture wouldn’t have signed off on a guidebook quite this crude.

Via Sharon Weinberger and Noah Shachtman at Danger Room.