US Army its own worst enemy: British officer

A senior British officer has written a scathing critique of the U.S. Army and its performance in Iraq, accusing it of cultural ignorance, moralistic self-righteousness, unproductive micromanagement and unwarranted optimism there.


British Brig. Nigel Aylwin-Foster, who was deputy commander of a program to train the Iraqi military, said American officers in Iraq displayed such "cultural insensitivity" that it "arguably amounted to institutional racism" and may have spurred the growth of the insurgency. The Army has been slow to adapt its tactics, he argues, and its approach during the early stages of the occupation "exacerbated the task it now faces by alienating significant sections of the population."

So who would publish such a scathing critique ?

The answer ... the 'US army' in this weeks edition of the magazine Military Review

Is he attacking the soldiers on the ground ?

Well no , he clearly says ' The Army is full of soldiers showing qualities such as patriotism, duty, passion and talent'

So what is the problem ?

Well he states "it (the US army) seemed weighed down by bureaucracy, a stiflingly hierarchical outlook, a predisposition to offensive operations, and a sense that duty required all issues to be confronted head-on."

It is no suprise that the article has sparked indignation in the US. Col Kevin Benson, commander of the US Army's elite School of Advanced Military Studies, said his first reaction was that Brig Aylwin-Foster was "an insufferable British snob".

"Some of this is pretty powerful stuff and it made me a little upset,"

"But sometimes good articles do make you angry. We should publish articles like this."

Read the full article for yourself at Military Review ( pdf file )

Sources and further reading here , here and here .