Hilfiker on Army Strong-Arm Tactics in Sunni Heartland
Dr. David Hilfiker of the Christian Peacemaker Team has written an important account, presented by Tom Engelhardt, of the tactics employed by Col. Nate Sassaman in dealing with Sunni Arab Iraqis. Sassaman is alleged to have said several things about Iraqi Muslims that verge on racism, and his tactics, such as imprisoning the entire village of Abu Hishma with razor wire (probably borrowed from the Israelis), have brought notoriety to the United States in Iraq.
Hilfiker doesn’t say so, but the Sassaman approach is vehemently contested by the US Marines, who stress winning hearts and minds, and probably were on the verge of making important breakthroughs in places like Fallujah when they were withdrawn and replaced by the army.