American officers treated an Iraqi guide with respect that surprised the interpreter

Evidence

BY JUNE 2003, more than a month after the president’s “Mission Accomplished” speech, the company finally made it to Babylon, the first modern city in the world and their final destination. They set up camp, and the upper echelon of the company requested a tour of historical Babylon. Sami was taken along as the major’s driver, and he was less astonished by the city’s amazing history and more at how wide-eyed and eager the officers were, asking all kinds of questions of their Iraqi tour guide. Their deference and respect for an Iraqi surprised Sami. — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 246

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the earlier tension between official respect for Iraqi culture and the actual treatment of detainees in this same chapter.