Soldiers and Civilians: Intercultural Communication and the Iraq War

Abstract

Since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the U.S. Military has come under sharp criticism for its conduct on the ground. Soldiers have demonstrated a severe lack of cultural understanding of the region and its people. This has limited their capabilities to complete their missions and communicate effectively, causing a detrimental effect on U.S. foreign relations with the Arab and Muslim Worlds. My research evaluates the weaknesses of the current pre-deployment methods in place by the US military, analyzes the impact of cultural-ignorance in the region and offers suggestions for improvement.

This thesis examines the current and past strategies of the US military training and the initiatives in place to enhance the quality of pre-deployment intercultural training. I examine decision-making, limitations, and the training as well as offers recommendations, which explore the current situation on the ground in Iraq, and the faultiness of current procedures used by the US Department of Defense.