Top intel officials don't know the difference between Sunnis and Shiites.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/opinion/17stein.html?ex=1318737600&en=c5709a9fc1e31b3f&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

Quote :

"For the past several months, I've been wrapping up lengthy interviews with Washington counterterrorism officials with a fundamental question: "Do you know the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite?" A "gotcha" question? Perhaps. But if knowing your enemy is the most basic rule of war, I don't think it's out of bounds. And as I quickly explain to my subjects, I'm not looking for theological explanations, just the basics: Who's on what side today, and what does each want? But so far, most American officials I've interviewed don't have a clue. That includes not just intelligence and law enforcement officials, but also members of Congress who have important roles overseeing our spy agencies. How can they do their jobs without knowing the basics?"

Quote :

" O.K., I asked, trying to help, what about today? Which one is Iran — Sunni or Shiite? He thought for a second. “Iran and Hezbollah,” I prompted. “Which are they?” He took a stab: “Sunni.” Wrong. Al Qaeda? “Sunni.” Right. AND to his credit, Mr. Hulon, a distinguished agent who is up nights worrying about Al Qaeda while we safely sleep, did at least know that the vicious struggle between Islam’s Abel and Cain was driving Iraq into civil war. But then we pay him to know things like that, the same as some members of Congress."

Quote :

"He thought for a moment: “One’s in one location, another’s in another location. No, to be honest with you, I don’t know. I thought it was differences in their religion, different families or something.”"

Or Something. Indeed.

10/18/2006 11:50:36 PM

that is rather amazing... it takes very little to at least know the basics... hell i learned most of it from gleening info from different media stories. you eventually know little trivia about why there different, and where each is a majority.

10/18/2006 11:57:59 PM

I don't know the difference, and I don't really care.

10/19/2006 3:08:56 AM

we're fighting evil. thats all we need to know.

10/19/2006 3:12:58 AM

i honestly dont want to know but if your job deals with this stuff then you think you would know.

10/19/2006 9:07:30 AM

They are both brown and bleed red, right Randy?

10/19/2006 9:35:00 AM

Whether it's relevant information for any one person to know depends on what they need to know to do their job. Do you know the difference between catholics, baptists, greek orthadox, mormon and protestant?

10/19/2006 9:43:25 AM

^Yes. But then again I am a history nerd.

10/19/2006 9:44:42 AM

^^ yes

10/19/2006 12:35:31 PM

^^^Yes.

For example, the fact that there is no "a" in "Orthodox." I know that.

10/19/2006 12:40:35 PM

Quote :

"I don't know the difference, and I don't really care."

good thing you're not in charge of national intelligence, then.

10/19/2006 12:43:20 PM

^^^ But did you know it before you looked it up on google?

^^ My mistake.

The point stands that the importance of knowing the differences between various sects of a religion is based on what the person actualy needs to know to do their job.

[Edited on October 19, 2006 at 12:46 PM. Reason : fjh]

10/19/2006 12:46:04 PM

Quote :

"The point stands that the importance of knowing the differences between various sects of a religion is based on what the person actualy needs to know to do their job."

They vote on whether or not to go to war with these people. It is their job to know.

[Edited on October 19, 2006 at 1:19 PM. Reason : x]

10/19/2006 12:58:31 PM

Not that I disagree with the fact that they should know the difference, or at least have an inkling...

but this is funny

Quote :

"It is there job to know."

You tell those morons!

10/19/2006 1:03:10 PM

Yea, I got a phone call right after I hit post reply, then notice the mistake before I read your comment.

Considering I don't actually have to think about what keys my fingers are hitting, I find it rather interesting that I can bang out a "there, their, or they're" without actually thinking about typing it.

10/19/2006 1:20:49 PM

they make ICs in iraq?

i had no idea

10/19/2006 1:30:28 PM

Thanks for your contribution to the thread.

10/19/2006 1:32:24 PM

YOU'RE WELCOME!

10/19/2006 1:34:12 PM

Quote :

"Do you know the difference between catholics, baptists, greek orthadox, mormon and protestant?"

I know that they aren't trying to kill each other, I don't even think they hate each other. I have friends from all of those (except greek orthodox, those bastards).

10/19/2006 1:37:32 PM

Quote :

"Considering I don't actually have to think about what keys my fingers are hitting, I find it rather interesting that I can bang out a "there, their, or they're" without actually thinking about typing it. "

I do the same thing. A lot of times I'll start typing the incorrect word in a situation, but my fingers finish the word anyhow.

10/19/2006 1:45:11 PM

that article is pretty telling

10/19/2006 1:49:55 PM

Quote :

"I know that they aren't trying to kill each other,"

IRA?

10/19/2006 3:26:37 PM

They've give up haven't they?

10/19/2006 3:28:02 PM

Quote :

"I know that they aren't trying to kill each other, I don't even think they hate each other."

AHAHAHAHAHAHA

This is a riot.

Catholic Croats are all about killing some Serbian Orthodox, and vice versa. Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants blew each other up as a national pasttime practically until yesterday.

Quote :

"I have friends from all of those (except greek orthodox, those bastards)."

You mean...you mean we aren't friends?

10/19/2006 4:58:22 PM

Quote :

"Do you know the difference between catholics, baptists, greek orthadox, mormon and protestant?"

Absolutely.

And if people's lives and my career depended on me working with these groups, you'd better believe it'd know their histories inside and out.

This is abhorrent

10/19/2006 5:04:55 PM

This is lame, but I'm not sure it's as big a deal as some are making it out to be. If your job is to get intelligence, I'd rather you be good at getting intelligence than about knowing the history and relevance of a very old religious division. I'm sure there were plenty of people who didn't give a damn about the Christian schism when Serbia and Croatia had their last spat, and it doesn't seem to have prevented them from doing about as well as anyone could hope to in that armpit of the universe.

There are people who need to know these things, people who are important in policymaking. I'm just not sure it's these specific people.

10/19/2006 5:17:20 PM

those are my thoughts to an extent.

the people in question don't need to be scholars of the mid east or islam...but such gross ignorance of the basics of the situation is, to borrow a description from boonedocks, abhorrent.

10/19/2006 10:58:37 PM

Quote :

"Catholic Croats are all about killing some Serbian Orthodox, and vice versa. Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants blew each other up as a national pasttime practically until yesterday. "

O RLY?

Why aren't we trying to liberate them?

10/20/2006 1:46:07 AM

The Sunni are the Hatfields and the Shiites are the McCoys.

10/20/2006 7:54:04 AM

Quote :

"This is lame, but I'm not sure it's as big a deal as some are making it out to be. If your job is to get intelligence, I'd rather you be good at getting intelligence than about knowing the history and relevance of a very old religious division. I'm sure there were plenty of people who didn't give a damn about the Christian schism when Serbia and Croatia had their last spat, and it doesn't seem to have prevented them from doing about as well as anyone could hope to in that armpit of the universe. "

But if your job is to take that intelligence and make insights about what to do next or how to act on that intelligence, wouldn't you think it's important to have an understanding of the very basic motives of the people you're studying and facing off against?

10/20/2006 1:35:34 PM

To be fair, you can't lump people together. Our boy was just trying to fight stereotypes

10/20/2006 2:42:16 PM