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The way of the warrior

Paul Robinson

Wednesday, 13th June 2007

‘The moral elements,’ said Clausewitz, ‘are among the most important in war.’ This was never more true than it is today. In the decisive battle for hearts and minds, the moral image an army projects is as powerful as, if not more powerful than, the physical force it wields. From this perspective, a new report issued by the US Army mental health advisory team makes for gloomy reading. According to the BBC, the report, based on a survey of 1,700 American soldiers in Iraq, found that ‘less than half the troops in Iraq thought Iraqi civilians should be treated with dignity and respect. More than a third believed that torture was acceptable if it helped save the life of a fellow soldier or if it helped get information about the insurgents’. If this is true, the moral battle is close to being lost.

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