About this blog...

I am a former leader of a Human Terrain Team in Iraq. My intent with this blog was to identify relevant, open-source materials on Iraqi culture, society, politics, religion and economics - just about anything on or about the Iraqi population in general.

I am continuing the blog now only sporadically, as a means of information distribution in support of efforts to improve a vital program hamstrung by failures in execution.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Dropping the ball

I think enough has been written and observed about the soccer ball incident in Afghanistan that there's no need to make any heavy-handed observations or arguments about the role an HTT might have played in the planning. (Although, to be fair, this sounds more like a personal good-will initiative rather than a deliberate military effort, so an HTT probably wouldn't have actually mattered anyway...)

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Afghanistanica has the most comprehensive discussion on this event; I don't really fault whoever dropped the ball, but the disturbing part is that somebody predicted early last year that soccer balls with Saudi flags would spark outrage among Muslims.

Ryan Holiday said...

I am doing some research for Robert Greene--48 Laws of Power, 33 Strategies of War--and I came across your blog. I just wanted to pass along that it was very helpful and that I wouldn't mind discussing some of the stuff further with you if you had the time.

My email is ryan.holiday@gmail.com

Regardless, you're providing a great service and this sort of open dialog and internal research from soldiers is encouraging. I've subscribed.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for leaving the comments on your defunct blog open for me.

I am opposed to the Human Terrain System, but I do applaud the efforts of the people who have sacrificed a great deal to make it happen. I think that the ethical considerations weigh heavily against this type of program.

You may read about this here...