Human Terrain Team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Human Terrain Team (HTT) program, begun in late 2003,[1] is a controversial, experimental counter-insurgency effort of the United States military which embeds anthropologists with combat brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan to help tacticians in the field understand local cultures.[2] "Academic embeds" as the social scientists on teams are known,[3] help troops understand relevant cultural history, engage locals in a way they can appreciate, and incorporate knowledge about tribal traditions in conflict resolution.[2] In interviews, US military officers in Afghanistan have stated that the aim of the program is to improve the performance of local government officials, persuade tribesmen to join the police, ease poverty and protect villagers from the Taliban and criminals. The architect of the program is Australian anthropologist David Kilcullen, who characterizes the idea as "armed social work".[1] The deputy director is James Greer.[4]

Contents

[edit] Development

In late 2003, American officers in Iraq complained of poor local intelligence. Cultural anthropologist Montgomery McFate was recruited by The Pentagon while working for the Navy because she advocated using social science to improve military operations and strategy. McFate helped develop a database in 2005 that provided officers with detailed information on the local population. In 2006, Colonel Steve Fondacaro (Special Operations, retired) joined the program and advocated embedding social scientists with American combat units.[1]

[edit] Efficacy

The approach was first applied in Afghanistan in 2006[5] and has since won the praise of officers who see concrete results in improved understanding of social connections in the tribal cultures encountered during phase iv operations (operations aimed at stabilizing an area of operations in the aftermath of major combat).[1][4][6] According to Col. Martin Schweitzer, commander of the 82nd Airborne, the unit’s combat operations had been reduced by 60 percent over a period of eight months, enabling soldiers to improve security, health care and education for local populations.[1][7]

[edit] Expansion

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in September 2007 authorized a $40 million expansion of the program.[1][4] Teams of anthropologists and social scientists are expected to be assigned to each of the 26 American combat brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan.[1][4] As of October 2007, the number of teams in Baghdad were expanded from one to six.[1][4]

[edit] Methods

Teams are composed of five members:[1][8] two civilians and three military personnel, according to Stars and Stripes.[8] Military Review defines embeds as "experienced cultural advisors" familiar with the area of operations.[6] Embeds also work within the framework of an overall Human Terrain System (HTS) which includes a relationship mapping schema called MAP-HT.[6]

To map relationships, teams create databases of

  • local leaders
  • tribes
  • and political disputes
  • economic issues
  • social problems

as well as using mapped knowledge and cultural insights to advise brigade commanders.[1][4] Embeds must also note and respond to the attitudes of American military culture, which values a "can do" attitude.[4]

[edit] Notable operations

[edit] Operation Khyber

During a 15-day drive in late summer 2007, 500 Afghan and 500 American soldiers tried to

  • clear an estimated 200 to 250 Taliban insurgents out of much of Paktia Province
  • secure southeastern Afghanistan’s most important road
  • and halt a string of suicide attacks on American troops and local governors.

An HTT anthropologist, Tracy, identified an unusually high concentration of widows in poverty, creating pressure on their sons to join well-paid insurgents. Citing Tracy’s advice, American officers developed a job training program for the widows. She also interpreted the beheading of a local tribal elder as as an effort to divide and weaken the Zadran, rather than mere intimidation. Afghan and American officials as a result focused on uniting the Zadran, one of southeastern Afghanistan’s most powerful tribes, thereby blocking the Taliban from operating in the area.[1]

[edit] Operation Maiwand

800 Afghan soldiers, 400 U.S. soldiers and 200 Afghan policemen took part in the operation, in which Afghan soldiers raided houses of suspected militants.[9]

Stars and Stripes reported that in one Pashtun village, Kuz Khadokhel, HTT made it possible for negotiator Captain Aaron White to understand body language in the context of the culture, to identify leaders during negotiations, and to reinforce a perception of leadership by not conferring with fellow officers and by demonstrating good faith through projects facilitated by the Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team including roads, a visit by the PRT’s mobile medical clinic, the construction of a deep well for irrigation, and the beginnings of a road to Afghanistan’s main Highway 1.[8]

[edit] Controversy

The American Anthropological Association denounced HTT in October 2007, concerned it could lead to compromise of ethics, disgrace to anthropology as an academic discipline, and the endangerment of research subjects.[2] Some academics denounce the program as “mercenary anthropology” that exploits social science for political gain, fearing HTT could cause all anthropologists to be viewed as intelligence gatherers for the American military.[1][7] Some academics draw comparisons to the Phoenix Program and Project Camelot during the Vietnam War. According to Richard Shweder, "Anthropologists feel almost polluted by contact with certain parts of the government. There's a breach-of-trust issue there that hasn't been repaired."[4] David Matsuda, an academic embed from California, counters the reaction in the anthropology community: "I came here to save lives, to make friends out of enemies."[2]

The American Dialect Society named "Human Terrain Team" the most euphemistic phrase for 2007.[10]

[edit] Notable academic embeds

  • Tracy (surname withheld)
  • David Matsuda
  • Robert Holbert[11]
  • Lisa Verdon[4]
  • Fouad Lghzaoui[4]
  • Michael V. Bhatia (killed while serving with a HTT in Khost, Afghanistan in May 2008)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l David Rohde. "Army Enlists Anthropology in War Zones", New York Times, October 5, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-02-12. 
  2. ^ a b c d "U.S. Military, Oblivious of Iraqi Culture, Enlists Anthropologists for Occupation", Middle East Online, January 19, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-11. 
  3. ^ 'Academic Embeds': Scholars Advise Troops Abroad : NPR
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j The Culture Warriors - US News and World Report
  5. ^ US Army's strategy in Afghanistan: better anthropology | csmonitor.com
  6. ^ a b c The U.S. Army Professional Writing Collection
  7. ^ a b RFI - Les anthropologues aux armées
  8. ^ a b c Stars and Stripes: Cultural advisers give U.S. teams an edge
  9. ^ Afghan army plans, executes first big operation, taking step forward in US exit strategy - International Herald Tribune
  10. ^ http://www.americandialect.org/Word-of-the-Year_2007.pdf
  11. ^ Daily Nebraskan