U.S. military training fails to grasp foreign cultures, says Rep. Skelton.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: Up Front

A thorough lack of understanding of the Iraqi culture, to a large extent, has contributed to U.S. setbacks in the occupation of Iraq, said Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo.

To better prepare for future operations in foreign lands, the Defense Department should put more effort into "cultural awareness" training programs for military service members, he asserted.

"In simple terms, if we had better understood the Iraqi culture and mindset, our war plans world have been even better than they were, the plan for the post-war period and all of its challenges would have been far better, and we might have been better prepared for the 'long slog,'" Skelton said in a speech to the National Defense Industrial Association's annual award dinner.

He was the recipient of the 2004 Eisenhower Award, given to leaders in the national security arena. Skelton is the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

"For a country that welcomes people from so many cultures around the world, the United States can be remarkably insular," he said.

"Although many of our elementary and secondary schools provide excellent foreign language instruction, limited funds, teacher shortages and increasing standards in other areas often bring cutbacks to these programs. The result? We literally have a real problem speaking the languages of the world, but also in understanding the values and traditions of others."

A select few service men and women are sent to school to receive intensive language and cultural training, said Skelton. But be cautioned that current programs fall short.

"I am not suggesting that every service member...