U.S. Seeks to Be More Sensitive to Iraqis

[rodbarnett]

February 9, 2004, 10:02 AM EST


BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. military will be more sensitive to Islam and intrude less into Baghdad's neighborhoods when a new Army division takes control of the Iraqi capital on April 15, Army commanders said Monday.

The new force, the 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas, will occupy a larger swath of territory than the current unit, the Army's Germany-based 1st Armored Division.

It will bring fewer soldiers, fewer tanks and fewer armored vehicles. It plans to spend far less time in the bustling city, remaining instead in eight bases -- most of which sit beyond the city limits.

"We'll be much more mobile and less obtrusive in these communities," 1st Cavalry Division's Col. Mike Formica told a press gathering.

The division also intends to display a rudimentary knowledge of Arabic language and customs, Formica said. Officers and sergeants are undergoing "cultural sensitivity training" in Jordan and at Fort Hood before arriving in Baghdad, Formica said.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-changing-the-guard,0,2006812.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[Voice_of_Europe]

1. Oh oh...

retreating into fortresses...

loose the initiative and mobility...

[Warren Stuart]

2. I was in the Cav in a unit that was shipping out to Germany

For a six month tour. We had to take rudimentary German lessons, the only phrase that stuck was "Wo is der banhof?" Where is the train station?

It became a running joke after a while, because it was the only phrase anyone knew.

Although it did come in handy, I attended the Octoberfest in Munich, and had stashed my sleeping bag in a train locker, me and a buddy were stumbling around Munich trying to find the train station. When it struck us that we knew the right question to ask, we doubled over in laugher, this could not have been a pretty sight,

[Zhade]

3. Oh, so more sensitive when they shoot a wounded man?

"I wanna go do that again!"

Sick.

[pinniped]

4. Didn't they try that already?

n/t

[mike1963]

5. Call me crazy, but maybe if we stop occupying their land and killing them,

they will be a little bit less pissed.
:eyes:

[snippy]

6. Maybe now the Iraqis will greet us with floral program related activities.