Special Relationship Training
| 18:45 UK time, Wednesday, 21 June 2006
We spoke on the World Update programme today to Air Marshal 'Black' Robertson, who since his retirement has been responsible for coordinating British-US relations at the UK Ministry of Defence.
One of the points he made was that now UK and US forces are working together in insurgency situations more than in full scale wars, there is an urgent need for training to bring their operational tactics in line.
The traditions are different.
Love it or hate it, Britain's imperial past has given Her Majesty's armed forces plenty of experience in what are called, somewhat euphemistically, 'small wars'.
The US has had less recent experience in that kind of warfare, and its successes, like the , are fewer.
British forces claim many successes, from to in the late 20th.
Put simply, the British would probably say their success is down to winning the support of the majority through efficient administration which improves the economic and security situation of ordinary people; training local forces to behave even-handedly; and fighting back ruthlessly when engaged by insurgents.
That means getting the troops out among the people - or as one senior British commander in Bosnia told me rather too candidly, "letting the boys out to drink in local bars and chase the local women".
Whether that theory holds in Afghanistan, where there are very few bars and chasing the women would be fatal, we'll see.
This principle is valid, at least: establishing close relationships and understanding the population you're claiming to defend - looking them in the eye and smiling - is better than patrolling in heavy armour looking intimidating.
Air Marshal Robertson told us the story of a US personnel carrier in Iraq with a sign on the back "Come within 100 yards of this vehicle and you'll be shot!" He wasn't sure the sign could be read from 100 yards away.
Understandable, given the dangers and brutality of the insurgency.
But joint training between the two armies will have to look for ways to combine the two traditions.
Comments
I agree with the Air Marshal that Britain, because of its long colonial history, has far more experience than the United States in working with people of diverse backgrounds and sensibilities, skills particularly required in Iraq. Experience has educated the Americans but it is necessarily halting and costly. The British can undoubtedly help Americans with discreet advice.
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