It seems that the Marines are relearning the lessons of their own Small Wars Manual (written in 1940, after a number of “Banana Wars”). Before Heading To Iraq, Marines Learn People Skills:
For months, Marine commanders in the U.S. have watched from afar as American and Iraqi casualties have mounted, and they think they know where the Army has gone wrong. So before they ship out, the Marines are undertaking what amounts to a massive deprogramming campaign for their own troops. Put simply, they’re teaching them to ask questions first and shoot later.The plan is a risky one, based on the assumption that even in the areas most hostile to the U.S.-led occupation, local residents can still be won over if American troops treat them with more dignity, patience and understanding. And, the theory goes, as popular support for the U.S. grows, popular tolerance of the armed resistance will fade.
“The vast majority of people just want peace, security, jobs, electricity and the basic things that any people would want,” says Lt. Col. David J. Furness, the Marine division’s operations officer. “I think we can appeal to that.”
Amusingly, this rule could have come from Disneyland:
The Marines say they won’t even wear sunglasses when they interact with Iraqis, so as not to appear too intimidating and inaccessible.
Come to think of it, the Marines seem to follow most of Disney’s grooming standards — well, except for the whole tattoo thing…