Hagee: Cultural training is needed to deal with globally funded insurgents

[lebkuchen]

I nominate Hagee's comments for the "No shit Sherlock" quote of the new century.


U.S. servicemembers in Iraq need more training — especially cultural training — to deal with a globally funded and highly sophisticated insurgency, the Marine Corps commandant told lawmakers Thursday.

The comments came as Navy and Marine officials outlined to Congress their 2006 budget requests, which includes more funding for troops’ training and almost doubles bonuses for individuals with language skills. Those start at $100 a month for active duty personnel.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee said little has changed in the combat tactics and physical demands of fighting insurgents over the years. But to more effectively anticipate their movements and plans, a new emphasis must be placed on understanding their motives and background.

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=27254

[Wright Patman]

1. I thought you meant this guy

John Hagee is pastor of an Armageddon Cult congregation in San Antonio with 17,000 members. As is so often the case in this racket, he's been to way too many family night suppers.

[Ezlivin]

4. That's scary. I did too.

Damn. I hope I don't start channeling any of these bastards.

[DUgosh]

6. Thought so too.

John Hagee and Jack Van Impe imply have counseled * in his road map for peace.

[LinuxInsurgent]

2. Cultural Training lesson number one

don't shove your foot up their naked asses in a prison...don't hook up them up to electric wires...don't break in to their homes and shove your gun in their faces..and don't walk into their mosques with your dirty combat boots.

I guess what I'm trying to say is...try to be less of the brutal, ignorant, "heartland" hick that you really are...and actually try to front like you are a Western "civilized" person.

Is that too much to ask?

[Karenina]

3. And DO check this out...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1249057

Soldiers sometimes rough despite risk of antagonizing friendly Iraqis
Edited on Fri Feb-18-05 11:30 PM by Rose Siding

snip>
On another day, however, Flaherty saw it differently. "These people don't understand nice," he said. "You've got to be a hard-ass."

Such contradictions are understandable. The troopers of Charlie 1-8 Cav arrived in Iraq with almost no training in Arab culture or guerrilla war. In January they had just two interpreters, one of whom barely spoke English. Patrols without interpreters were disasters waiting to happen. One such patrol began randomly searching houses on a whim after midnight one night. The residents turned out to be Christians- more likely to be the targets of terrorist attacks than the perpetrators.

Aldrich recounted how a group of soldiers used fists and an electric stun gun to punish an Iraqi teenager who'd flashed his middle finger.

"I've got 200,000 Iraqis I've got to control with 18 people," Aldrich said, referring to his platoon's patrol sector. "So I've got to command respect. And unfortunately, all that hearts and minds stuff, I can't even think about that."

At another point he added: "There are things I have to do out here that I can't explain to my chain of command, and that the American people would never understand."

[lebkuchen]

5. They're going to give DOUBLE bonuses for those w/language skills

up to a whole extra $100/mo. (Note: our pResident doesn't qualify, for obvious reasons)

Private contractors are making $1000/day to bust tires, so I don't have high hopes for Hagee's "too little too late" venture.

[bemildred]

7. I second the nomination. nt