Cultural advisers to join 1st AD unit for next Iraq tour

[unhappycamper]

Cultural advisers to join 1st AD unit for next Iraq tour
By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, March 26, 2008

BAUMHOLDER, Germany — When the soldiers of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division deploy for Iraq in the coming weeks they will depart with a tool absent from their previous two tours.

Since November, Baumholder’s Iron Brigade has been working with a Human Terrain Team, which is part of an experimental Pentagon program that pairs units with cultural advisers. The teams are set up to provide commanders with information ranging from the potential ripple effects of large-scale public works initiatives to lessons in basic regional etiquette.

Adam Silverman, a social scientist deploying with the 2nd Brigade, said the objective is to arm commanders with “open source” information that will help them avoid creating additional tribal conflicts.

“Our job is to do context. Our job is to explain to them that if you’re going to deal with this tribal sheik or that tribal leader one way you’ll need to deal with the other ones this way,” said Silverman, who holds a PhD in political science and criminology along with degrees in comparative religion, international studies/security and Middle Eastern studies.

The arrival of the 2nd Brigade in Iraq will bring the total number of Human Terrain Teams there to six. In September, the Pentagon authorized a $40 million expansion of the program, which will eventually result in 22 teams in Iraq and four in Afghanistan.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=53600



uhc comment: It only took five years to realize that a) tribal customs are different and b) you can't kill everybody all the time.