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| Iraq |
| Throw out your American experience |
| 2008-02-01 |
| I have had the opportunity to interview Brigadier General Edward Cardon, Deputy Commanding General (Support) Multi-National Division-Center(MND-C), one-on-one. We last talked in a Bloggers’ Roundtable on January 24. My thanks to General Cardon for his time and patience with this interview and this interviewer. My thanks to Major Alayne Conway, MND-C Deputy PAO, for facilitating the interview with the telephone tag. And a great big thank you to both of them and all the men and women of Task Force Marne for their service to the United States. MND-C is also known as Task Force Marne. Its major area of responsibility is the security zones located along the southern edge of Baghdad and scales from the border of Saudi Arabia to the border of Iran. MND-Center is headquartered by the 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Stewart, Georgia. “Throw out your American experience; it’s making it worse” - General Cardon on how to work with the Iraqis. The General talked extensively about the necessity of building relationships with Iraqis. The country, the culture, operates on a relationship basis. He was emphatic that, as our military rotates, the incoming troops and officers already understand this and working with the Iraqis is much simpler. Our people arrive trained in the Iraqi culture, where a good meal and a cup of tea afterwards counts as much as getting right to business. Much more at the lin, a 3 part series |
| Posted by:Chuck Simmins |
| #1 As I commented at the link: Good and useful stuff, Chuck. I'm very impressed that you got an interview with General Cardon. It's a tribute to your impact on the Warblogging world, and to all its connections beyond. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-02-01 21:13 |