I(raqi) Contact
Heard yesterday on BBC radio: one small reason we are failing to win hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Nevermind all the hamfisted misadministered military-logistical factors that are muddling us along in the 'soft war.' Another reason may be sunglasses.
British troops have been educated to understand the culture of the Iraqi people. In encounters with them individually or in groups, they've been instructed to always remove their sunglasses. If they are to win over these people on a personal level, it's been explained to these soldiers the importance of eye to eye contact in this culture.
American troops either have not been so instructed because of failure at the top to be sensitive to matters other than show-of-force, or the soldiers in the field are playing the part of the self-indulgent all-about-me roles Americans are unfortunately coming to have in this world. According to this report, in that bright desert land, almost to a man, the American soldiers wear sunglasses. We'd hate to have them come home with those unsightly crows feet from squinting, after all.
Granted, this is a small thing. But for want of a nail...
Comments
The sunglasses rule is actually used in a recruitment advert. It isn't new in Iraq, but a long standing rule. A small but significant part of UK military training is about what you might call presentation - officers for example are not allowed to wear mirror finish sunglasses and as you point out military personnel are told to take sunglasses off altogether when on active duty in any dealings with local people. This is because of the need to maintain non-aggressive eye contact. Similarly extremely short haircuts are forbidden - nothing like the Marine cut in the US would be allowed - to avoid creating an intimidating impression.
Posted by: Ian | June 29, 2004 6:03 AM