Thursday, June 01, 2006

Marine Core Values Training Likely Off Target

Dear President Bush,

The Haditha incident investigative report has not been issued and people are already talking “solutions”. But have they dug deep enough to get at the root causes of likely improper civilian deaths? Have they asked why at least 5 times, preferably 7? If not, send them back to finish the job.

The solution being bandied about is core values training. This is as laughable as the White House ethics training post CIA agent Plame’s name leak. How will core values training impact the behavior of soldiers sent back to the front with post traumatic stress syndrome? Will it help them appropriately recognize threats given their clinical condition? My guess is it will have no impact on this likely cause of civilian death and injury.

Just as ethics training did nothing to reduce the hypercompetitive political system that exists in Washington DC, core values training will not address the dehumanization of soldiers and innocent civilians interacting in a war zone. It may cause soldiers damaged by the system to believe they are at fault, when leaders full well know the impact of war on the human psyche.

Much has been learned about the leak of Valerie Plame’s name since your targeted intervention. Did the man who ordered the leak, V.P. Dick Cheney attend one of the sessions? Write me back, I want to know.

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