Monday, December 29, 2003
Dallas Morning News: Armies are trained to kill people and destroy things.
That's one reason a liberation can turn into an occupation. While a victorious army should be making friends and rooting out the last pockets of resistance, it instead can be turning potential friends into implacable enemies.
In parts of Iraq, the U.S. Army has started to fall into that trap. Soldiers have shot bystanders, razed homes, destroyed vehicles and arrested innocent relatives in hopes of smoking out wanted men. Such tactics stoke civilian anger and contribute to the dozens of attacks a day on U.S. forces.
But farther south, in Samawa, Dutch troops have demonstrated cultural sensitivity and find themselves treated like neighborhood cops rather than an occupying army. Yes, the behavior of allied troops doesn't fully explain the peacefulness. The predominantly Shiite area, like the Kurdish area in the north, was particularly hostile to Saddam Hussein, and few would profit from a return by the old regime. Violence probably would be lower anyway. But velvet-glove tactics are paying dividends. And U.S. units should learn from the Dutch experience.
Take it easy
An English sign at the city limits offers this advice: "Speed down, barrel up." It tells Americans to take it easy, not needlessly point their guns at the Iraqis. "It's all about respect. Respect for the culture, respect for the values," Dutch Lt. Col. Richard Oppelaar told The Dallas Morning News' Todd Robberson.
That's why Dutch troops always take a woman along while conducting house-to-house searches. She ensures that troops respect local customs regarding male-female contact. If a house search turns up nothing, Dutch troops return the next day with a fruit basket and an apology. As a result, local Iraqis are comfortable with the Dutch, even as they resent American soldiers.
A healthy dose of cultural sensitivity isn't going to transform Baghdad into the Garden of Eden. It's unlikely that Americans could, like the Dutch in Samawa, lay down their rifles and remove their helmets at a sidewalk cafe.