The 101st Airborne surely meant well in 2003 when it published a guidebook for soldiers on Arab culture. U.S. troops could hardly be expected to know going into Iraq that, for instance, it’s a sign of disrespect to show someone the sole of your foot, and it’s better to avoid giving offense in the first place than potentially disrupt an emerging U.S.-Iraqi relationship. But the advice offered in the guidebook, it turns out, runs the gamut from respectful to hokey to offensive:
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=180627