EXCERPT FROM:
A SHORT GUIDE TO IRAQ
1943
For use of Military Personnel Only. Not to be republished, in whole or in part, without the consent of the War Department. Prepared by: Special Service Division, United States Army
You have been ordered to Iraq (i-rahk) as part of the world-wide offensive to beat Hitler.
American success or failure in Iraq may well depend on whether the Iraqis (as the people are called) like American soldiers or not. It may not be quite that simple. But then again it could.
The best way you can do this is by getting along with the Iraqis and making them your friends. And the best way to get along with any people is to understand them.
That is what this guide is for. To help you understand the people and the country so that you can do the best and quickest job of sending Hitler back to where he came from.
And, secondly, so that you as a human being will get the most out of an experience few Americans have been lucky enough to have. Years from now you’ll be telling your children and maybe your grandchildren stories beginning, “Now, when I was in Baghdad–.”
But don’t get discouraged. Most Americans and Europeans who have gone to Iraq didn’t like it at first. Might as well be frank about it. They thought it a harsh, hot, parched, dusty, and inhospitable land. But nearly all of these same people changed their minds after a few days or weeks, and largely on account of the Iraqi people they began to meet. So will you.
The tall man in the flowing robe you are going to see soon, with the whiskers and the long hair, is a first-class fighting man, highly skilled in guerilla warfare. Few fighters in any country, in fact, excel him in that kind of situation. If he should happen to be your enemy—look out! Remember Lawrence of Arabia?
Differences? Of course! Differences? Sure, there are differences. Difference of costume. Differences of food. Differences of manner and custom and religious beliefs. Different attitudes toward women. Differences galore.
But what of it? You aren’t going to Iraq to change the Iraqis. Just the opposite. We are fighting this war to preserve the principle of “live and let live.” Maybe that sounded like a lot of words to you at home. Now you have a chance to prove it to yourself and others. If you can, it’s going to be a better world to live in for all of us.