Posted on Sep 22, 2015
For the Advisers-What are your thoughts on Colonel Lawrence and his Legacy in the Middle East
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Colonel T.E. Lawrence, known as "Lawrence of Arabia" owing to immense publicity in the West, single-handedly converted the Arab war against the Turks during WWI into a movement that forever changed the face of the Middle East. For those who served as advisers to foreign military personnel, what are your thoughts and opinions on this officer's impact...for better or worse...and are there any lessons for us today?
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Posted 9 y ago
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When I was training for the ETT mission in Afghanistan, we studied Lawrence as an example of both "what to do"...and "what not to do". Among the many aspects of his mission that were touted as "successful" were his ability to understand the tribal nature of the Bedouin and influence others on behalf of Faisal towards a confederation to defeat the Turks-which served British interests. However, his overall division of loyalty between the aims of the Arabs towards independence, and the eventual goals of both England and France were highlighted as "dangers" of "going native"...In light of the recent reports, I was struck by the potential risks in placing people without the correct qualifications (After all, Lawrence was virtually a "native" in his own right by the outbreak of WWI in the East) into such vital and potentially complex roles.
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He drank hot sweet tea with his hosts and conversed with them in the local tongue, waiting for the Shamal to pass. Lawrence immersed himself in to their culture, lived with them, broke bread with them. Eventually he was able to gain their trust.
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Lawrence hit more than a few truths squarely on the head! 1st, don’t generalize. He knew that there were “Arabs and Arabs” meaning that there exists political strata that the West will never fully understand. Lawrence knew it was important to be culturally competent and accept culture positively and unconditionally (with the obvious exceptions towards the brutality to women and children). Being sensitive to religion, tradition and language and language imparts a sense of community that very often overcomes the “infidel” mentality and invites a sense of Ahl al-Kitāb (People of the Book) where there are real and defined roles with expectations.
I learned these valuable truths from AARs garnered during the late days of Bosnia / SFOR. They served me and my team well in KFOR 2 and then OEF 7. You don’t have to be a FAO or SME to make these work.
Separate the enemy from the population.
Thanks for this question and best of luck to all those going down range!!!!!
I learned these valuable truths from AARs garnered during the late days of Bosnia / SFOR. They served me and my team well in KFOR 2 and then OEF 7. You don’t have to be a FAO or SME to make these work.
Separate the enemy from the population.
Thanks for this question and best of luck to all those going down range!!!!!
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LCDR (Join to see)
Great synopsis Major...I for one would be interested in hearing more about your experiences in Bosnia.
I will say that Lawrence had a few "advantages" over most western advisers: First, he was highly knowledgeable of the culture/language already, and had proven himself competent in Arabia long before his exploits during the War. Second, he was an intellectual more than a solider...I'm certain Allenby viewed him in much the same light as Faisal. Finally, and this is the only point I may offer a counter-opinion upon; If Lawrence had any remaining "qualms" about the nature of warfare in the desert...I'm sure he lost them long before Damascus. I think he lost something of himself over there as well...or found it. Either way, he wasn't a "Westerner" in the sense we think of it today at all.
Now, I may be straining the point a bit in suggesting this...but I think it's a fair comparison to suggest that if Lawrence were operating today, he would likely be found on the side of al-Assad. It is impossible for us to truly model our approach on his overall philosophy for the simple reason that I fear deep inside...Lawrence truly hated the West.
I will say that Lawrence had a few "advantages" over most western advisers: First, he was highly knowledgeable of the culture/language already, and had proven himself competent in Arabia long before his exploits during the War. Second, he was an intellectual more than a solider...I'm certain Allenby viewed him in much the same light as Faisal. Finally, and this is the only point I may offer a counter-opinion upon; If Lawrence had any remaining "qualms" about the nature of warfare in the desert...I'm sure he lost them long before Damascus. I think he lost something of himself over there as well...or found it. Either way, he wasn't a "Westerner" in the sense we think of it today at all.
Now, I may be straining the point a bit in suggesting this...but I think it's a fair comparison to suggest that if Lawrence were operating today, he would likely be found on the side of al-Assad. It is impossible for us to truly model our approach on his overall philosophy for the simple reason that I fear deep inside...Lawrence truly hated the West.
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