The following article is very good. It is probably the most insightful writing on the personal aspect of the relationship between soldiers and Iraqis that I have read to date. It was written by a Army Special forces Major. There are many reasons that some of us have believed since the beginning that this "war" in Iraq would be a failure on all levels.
Major Edmond's writing reveals to me a window to a success that might have been -that we might, just might, have had a chance if we had taken a different tact as we began the mission in Iraq. From our President on down to private contractors in Iraq, we should show more respect for the Iraqis and their culture. It may not mean success at this late date, but it could mean the difference between a country that despises us for the next hundred years and a country that realizes that the goal of the American people in Iraq, even most of our pro-war countrymen- was to help them.
Soldiers Story
The picture is of Lieutenant Colonel David Vacchi, US Army, Professor of Military Leadership at UMASS-Amherst.
His story, also a good read, is here: To Iraq and Back
