When the “Big Red One” —the US First Infantry Division—arrived in Iraq in 2003, its soldiers received this Soldier’s Handbook to Iraq. Its first page proclaimed, “Combined with your warrior ethos, a thorough cultural understanding of your environment is a major combat multiplier that makes you all the more lethal on the front lines in the war on terrorism.” In addition to providing US soldiers a fairly accurate presentation of what to expect in Iraq, the Handbook also provides insight into the Army’s thinking as it began the Iraq War.
The Handbook predicted that American soldiers would face a tough struggle in Iraq. It clearly contradicted Vice President Cheney’s March 2003 assertion that US soldiers “would be greeted as liberators.” On the contrary, it stated that Iraqis had “fears of American mistreatment,” held “suspicion of US intent in their land,” and would be “cautious”—not gracious—toward Coalition forces. The Handbook also correctly predicted the Iraqi people’s coolness toward Ahmed Chalabi, the Pentagon’s first choice to govern the new Iraq. He was “viewed with suspicion by some Iraqis due to his proximity to the US administration and to the fact that he has been absent from Iraq for the best part of 45 years.” (more…)
