Afghan Army Troops Told Not To Go Off the Deep End and Kill American Troops Who Offend Them

Well, the three ring circus of operations in Afghanistan took yet another twist today as a new manual has been provide to Afghan National Army troops instructing them that if an American soldier or Marine does something to offend their culture, they shouldn't shoot and kill the American.  You know, like if the American blows his nose.  Good grief.

So let me get this straight - they have to put this in a manual?  And secondly, they waited til now to do this?  And thirdly, you have an ANA troop who has three Taliban snipers bearing down on him and he's gonna completely lose it because the American across the ditch blew his nose?

The story comes from The Telegraph.

Afghan troops told not to take take revenge for Nato cultural offenses


The booklet is intended to bridge the divide cultural divide between local forces and Nato troops and avoid the misunderstandings that have sometimes ended in violence, the Washington Post reported.

It warns Afghan soldiers that their international allies may blow their noses in public or "show their excitement by patting one another on the back or the behind", both taboos in Afghan culture.

The pamphlet, entitled “Cultural Understanding — A Guide to Understanding Coalition Cultures", also cautions that Westerners may put their feet up desks without realising that showing the soles of feet is considered a serious insult in Islamic culture.

"They are by no means trying to offend you. They simply don’t know or have forgotten the Afghan custom," according to a translation seen by the Post.

The 18-page guide is being distributed after a sharp rise in the number of "green on blue" attacks, the nickname for incidents in which Afghan troops turn their weapons on Nato soldiers.

This year 51 Nato troops have been killed by members of the Afghan security forces, including nine British soldiers.

The booklet is being accompanied by three one hour-long seminars designed for new recruits, many of whom are from isolated areas with little or no exposure to Western culture.

It also tries to give a sense of the distant lands where Nato's forces originate from, describing the US as "a little like a lovely carpet. Different colored strands combine to make a beautiful whole.”

The cultural programme was drawn up by Brigadier General Mohammad Amin Nasib, the head of the religious and ideological affairs at the Afghan Ministry of Defence, and Commander Michael Gore, a US Navy chaplain posted in Afghanistan.

“Some would argue that we’re too late, but any time is the right time to promote understanding of each other’s culture,” said Commander Gore.