Marines in Fallujah trade 'culturally sensitive' training for bullets

AP | 4/15/04 | LOURDES NAVARRO

[kattracks]

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) -- On a rooftop overlooking Fallujah's industrial wasteland, Lance Cpl. Tom Browne pokes his machine gun muzzle out of a hole in a barrier wall, singing to himself to pass the time.

In the street below, the corpse of an insurgent suspect lies baking in the sun. Browne, from Boston, says he has killed several rebels, probably Iraqis, so far.

"I don't even think about those people as people," he says.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

The band of Marines in this insurgent stronghold received two big orders this year. They were told to return to Iraq to stabilize the Sunni areas west of Baghdad, Iraq's toughest patch of territory. The normally clean-shaven Marines were also told to grow mustaches in an attempt to win over Iraqis who see facial hair as a sign of maturity.

"We did it basically to show the Iraqi people that we respect their culture," said Lance Cpl. Cristopher Boulwave, 22, from Desoto Texas.

But after the brutal killing of four American contractors in Fallujah on March 31, they tossed aside such pretenses. First to go were the mustaches.

"When you go to fight, it's time to shoot -- not to make friends with people," said Sgt. Cameron Lefter, 34, from Seattle.

In the fight for Fallujah -- which has killed more than 600 Iraqis, according to city doctors, and around a dozen Marines

-- the Marines now seem to be following the second half of their famous motto: "no better friend, no worse enemy."

The Marines say it's easier to cope with the daily work of killing inside Fallujah, where a seemingly unending supply of rebels continues to fight, if they don't think about the suspected Iraqi rebels they are targeting as people who, under different circumstances, they might have been trying to help.

"If someone came and did this to our neighborhood I'd be pissed too," said Capt. Don Maraska, of Moscow, Idaho, a 37-year-old who guides airstrikes on enemy targets in the town. "I've never had people look at me the ways these people look at me. I don't know what came before, but at this point, what else can we possibly do but fight?"

The Marines were hoping to lull Fallujah and al-Anbar province into a state of well-being by passing out $540 million in rebuilding funds, and showing off a more educated attitude about Arab sensitivities than they believed their U.S. Army predecessors displayed.

Before returning to Iraq, the Marines took a crash course in cultural training that included a video teleconference with an Arabic studies professor and the distribution of a culture handbook with tips warning against showing the soles of their feet or eating with their left hands.

Around three dozen Marines from one unit took a three week intensive language course in Arabic. And of course, they grew mustaches.

"We grew them for the Iraqi people. We shaved them off for us," Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne, who originally ordered his men to sport the facial hair, said.

These days, the Marines are speaking a more familiar language.

"We didn't initiate this," said 1st Marine Regiment Commander Col. John Toolen. "I came in here with more money than bullets. Now I'm running out of bullets but the money is still in my pocket."

The Marines are frustrated with the negotiations to halt the firing in Fallujah. Many say they want to finish the battle, take control of the rebel city by brute force -- whatever it takes -- rather than wait for Iraqi negotiators to thrash out a deal to stop the fighting.

"We're the guys that go in and put out foot in the door," said Maraska, a veteran of the first Gulf War and Somalia. "We'll do any mission. But we're better at pushing and fighting."

Behind the front line, Marines are trying to supply the holed-up locals that they encounter with food and water, one of the few areas their cultural training is put into use.

But Cpl. David Silvers, based in a front-line building nicknamed "the tower," says his experience with Iraqis has been limited to dodging bullets from a persistent and shadowy gunman he dubbed "Bob the sniper."

"He's the guy who wakes us up every morning and fires at us all day. He hasn't got anyone yet but he's come close a few times," Silvers said.

Even though the Marines have given Bob his name, they say they still want to kill him.

"This is the closest relationship I have with an Iraqi right now," Silvers said.

[JRandomFreeper]

Even though the Marines have given Bob his name, they say they still want to kill him.

"This is the closest relationship I have with an Iraqi right now," Silvers said.

Silvers' CO should give him two men, a coon dog, a flashlight, the night off, and tell him to go hunting. Bob needs to swing.

/john

[Nateman]

No quicker way to change a mind gone bad than to put a bullet through it. If these foolish dead enders just waited patiently a few months and let the elections happen peacefully these US soldiers would leave and prosperity would move in.

[LibWhacker]

Many say they want to finish the battle, take control of the rebel city by brute force -- whatever it takes -- rather than wait for Iraqi negotiators to thrash out a deal to stop the fighting.

Negotiators, my eye. They're stalling. Probably taking payoffs from the Baathists, too. Much like Musharaf's men in Pakistan. It's a raghead thing. Enough already. Kick the door down and stop giving them valuable time to prepare their defenses.

[Bazooka]

After showing the world what great friends they can be, what exactly do the Iraqis in Fallujah expect? More cultural awareness? More understanding? The only clear message they seem to understand and respect, is written in lead. Well, so be it.

[USMARINE6]

The America needs to face the fact that there is no morality in war. The Islamist terrorist know it, display it and have no qualms about it. How do you say collateral damage in Arabic? Nothing makes a better friend than a completely and severely trounced enemy. Morality can begin when the enemy's guns are silent.

[E.Allen]

I always thought their motto was " F*** with the best, die like the rest."

[JeeperFreeper]

This "negotiation" stuff is coming straight from Bremer, et al with blessing of top Army generals. Gen. Mattis, USMC, is calling the delay it "Bulls..." Go read his interview in Marine Times. The State Dept. personnel, who are so rarely at risk, are making war decisions here with blessing of "perfumed princes" in uniform.

[kellynla]

I always thought their motto was " F*** with the best, die like the rest." LOL


Actually it's "Mess with the best, die like the rest!"


And for everyone's information that's the
Fifth Marine Regiment in Fallujah and
the Fifth Marine Regiment is the highest decorated infantry regiment in the Marine Corps.

So when they say "Mess with the best, die like the rest" they mean it!

Semper Fi,
Kelly
1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Viet Nam 1969 & 1970

[EQAndyBuzz]

Bremer and the Generals are picking their spots. They are doing the right thing. You can't go in and kill a few thousand civilians. We are still dealing with embedded liberal reporters and Al Jazeer.

Everything has a reason and I believe that as long as the war does not come back to congress we are ok. Unlike Vietnam, this war won't be fought by politicians. Bush is seeing to that.

It is a delicate situation and we will prevail. Israel has blessed us as we did Israel.

[mtbopfuyn]

That's the problem. They think a man is defined by his ability to grow hair rather than his actions.

[TXBSAFH]

A quote from General Cliaghten(sp?) Abrams, "When you get them by their b*lls, their hearts and mind follow."

[Frunabulax]

"We didn't initiate this," said 1st Marine Regiment Commander Col. John Toolen. "I came in here with more money than bullets. Now I'm running out of bullets but the money is still in my pocket."

Oh, for Pete's sake, somebody get this man more bullets.

[wku man]

Hehehehe...you know Lourdes Navarro just hated filing this report, and didn't mean for it to have the effect it has on us right-wing, militaristic kooks. I'm quite sure, being as she's from the Accuracy Problem network, she wanted her report to reflect how horrible it is that US Marines are no longer able to grow mustaches, pass out gum, and paint schoolhouses, because they're out fighting the enemy. I imagine she was probably shocked at the attitude of the Marines, which is apparently "bout damn time we're getting to do our job". Hey Leathernecks, this ol' Army dog's proud of you.

scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[JeeperFreeper]

Sorry E, I disagree. Allowing fanatics more time to organize, equip, rest, wire explosives, preregister targets for mortar and rocket fire, establish communications and other aspects of preparing for war in the streets is not the way to reduce casualties of any sort, civilian or otherwise. These fanatics are quite capable of creating mass graves of the civilians and who do you think is going to get blamed by al-Jazeera and the liberal press??( Remember what the NVA did to Hue residents in '68) In this situation, time is literally measured in lives. This is classic State Dept. dithering and interference in military affairs for short term benefit and the absurd fear of offending the feeling of fanatics who already detest Americans. This handwringing by Bremer and the top command is simply heartening the fanatics.

[steplock]

"It wasn't supposed to be this way"

That was the reporters words to insert a NEGATIVE slant

[jslade]

"When you go to fight, it's time to shoot -- not to make friends with people," said Sgt. Cameron Lefter, 34, from Seattle.

Best quote of the article.

[DonnerT]

And the dilly-dalliers hands will be covered with the blood of many good men.

[lewislynn]

If these foolish dead enders just waited patiently a few months and let the elections happen peacefully these US soldiers would leave and prosperity would move in.

Freedom and prosperity are their real enemies. Freedom and prosperity would expose them as the jurassic morons they are.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Allowing them more time to organize and bring in reinforcements in a way is good news. We don't want this to spread throughout Iraq. These guys are making Fallujah and Narif the two central points of the insurgency.

By bringing all the insurgents to these two locations under the guise of negotiations seems to be a good strategy. Why fight this over the entire country when you can isolate this into two theatres of operation? Also, by isolating these groups you remove the rest of the populace from the calculus.

If no material can come in then eventually these people will run out of resources while our supply lines stay secure. I don't think Bremer, once the insurgency is fenced in will give two squats about civilian casualties. But right now we are not at that point and it makes sense not to let this escalate into a full scale civil war.

Let the insurgents create the mass graves. Let the insurgents wire the place for sound. That will not stop AC130's. Once it becomes obvious that these fanatics are making their last stand, you ask the populace that doesn't want to fight to leave. If they don't.... oh well.