Here’s a stunning little find: from 1943 a guide to Iraq for GIs. Beyond poignant; and extremely wise. The PDF is here. Money quote:
You can usually tell a mosque by its high tower. Keep away from mosques. If you try to enter one, you will be thrown out, probably with a severe beating.
There are four towns in Iraq which are particularly sacred to the Iraq Moslems: Kerbala, Najaf, Samarra, and Kadhiman. Unless you are ordered to these towns it is advisable to stay away from them.
Moslems here are divided into two factions something like our division into Catholic and Protestant denominations – so don’t put in your two cents when Iraqis argue about religion.
There are political differences in Iraq that have puzzled diplomats and statesmen. You won’t help matters any by getting mixed up in them.
How did we get so much dumber in fifty years? And, yes, I am not exempting myself from this assessment. I guess we panicked, didn’t we?
The Dish 