The Lessons of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’
When the word tribal comes up in connection with Iraq and the Middle East, most Americans turn off.
The concept of tribes is a dialogue killer. Because no matter how Americans may view George Bush’s war, most see the Iraqi people as shiftless, intellectually vapid, morally suspect and content to wander through the centuries without ambitions, goals or leaders. This, in their blindered view, explains why the Iraqis keep biting the liberating hand that tries to feed them.
It’s not often that a movie can set the record straight, but Lawrence of Arabia is even more relevant and revalatory today because of how it debunks that perverse “tribal” view than when it won seven Oscars in 1962.
The Dear Friend & Conscience made that observation as we watched the movie for the umpteenth time on Saturday evening on Turner Classic Movies, which for my dinar is one of the small handful of excellent cable TV channels. Turner was wrapping up its terrific “31 Days of Oscar” series, which concludes with the 79th annual Academy Awards show tonight.
T.E. Lawrence was a young British Army intelligence officer in Cairo who was dispatched to investigate the Arab revolt against the Turks in World War I. Once in the desert, he found that he had an affinity for and understanding of the disparate but freedom-loving Arab tribes he encountered.
Lawrence organized these tribes into a guerrilla army that he led in a series of harrassing raids against the Turks, who eventually were routed, marking the end of the Ottoman Empire and the beginning of the British-French partition of the Middle East. This profound betrayal of the Arab cause included the arbitrary line drawing that led to the creation of modern-day Iraq.
The British occupation of Iraq ended ignominiously, of course, and more closely parallels the ongoing American misadventure than oft-cited comparisons to the Vietnam war. The British example is generally overlooked, although Lawrence’s “Seven Pillars of Wisdom,” the masterful tome on which the movie is based, is assigned as required reading by some American officers.
Writes Tony Perry, a Los Angeles Times blogger embedded with troops in Iraq:
The Marines see their challenge as being the same as the one faced by that young English officer: organize an Arab fighting force to confront a common enemy. Lawrence was working for the British, helping direct an Arab uprising against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. But then as now the Westerner’s promise was the same: a measure of safety and self-governance if the foe can be defeated. . . .
Now, as the quick knockdown of Saddam Hussein’s regime has turned into the hard slogging of waging a counter-insurgency, Marines say Lawrence’s advice and warnings are more timely than ever. On the ground in Iraq’s volatile Anbar Province, Marine officers swear by Lawrence. Col. Larry Nicholson, commanding officer of the 5th Marine Regiment, says in picking officers to interact with Iraqis he looks for ‘people skills’ — not the kind of attribute one usually ascribes to a fighting force.
Nicholson was wounded by a rocket attack on his headquarters at Camp Fallouja, went home to recuperate, and then returned to the fight. When he tells Iraqis that he has shed blood in Iraq, it makes an impression.
Like most Marines, Nicholson is a hard-charger. The Corps’ doctrine calls for Marines to seize an objective and move on swiftly. Holding and expanding territory, that’s for a more ponderous outfit like the Army. But like others here, Nicholson has had to learn patience. Lawrence counseled that the Arabs do not warm quickly to strangers, if at all, and that alliances are formed slowly, if at all.
“‘I spend a lot of my time eating goat and sipping tea at dinners and meetings where the first half is spent talking about families,” Nicholson said. “If you can’t do that, you can’t do the job.” Lawrence also counseled that it is sometimes difficult to decide which tribal leaders are real and which are poseurs. State Department operatives working with the Marines in Anbar bemoan time lost working with “fake sheiks.”
If Lawrence had one major warning for Westerners inserting themselves into Arabia, it was this: “The foreigner and Christian is not a popular person in Arabia. However friendly and informal the treatment of yourself may be, remember that your foundations are very sandy ones. ”
He also suggested modest aims: “It is their war and you are to help them, not to win for them.”
TMV note: A new deluxe DVD edition of the film will be coming out March 20th and Amazon.com is taking pre-orders:
10 Responses to “The Lessons of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’”
Excellent post Shaun. One of the reasons I joined Saudi Gazette newspaper at Jeddah/Riyadh in 1976 was the inspiration I got after reading about the life and times of T.E. Lawrence. I have also seen the film Lawrence of Arabia a number of times, and strongly recommend that those interested in the Arab world should see it.
The tribe spirit still survives even among those Arabs who have very modern outlook and may have studied at leading universities in the USA or the UK. This spirit is not negative but peculiar to the desert. It is a sort of a protective shield against unpredictable and harsh ‘modernity’.
Arabs are shy and appear withdrawing because they nurture a fear that the Western culture, dominated by the US, would overwhelm their own simple and uncomplicated way of life. The US politicians and others have done nothing to allay this fear. Instead we have Iraq, Afghanistan and (now coming up) Iran fiascoes that have created utter chaos, panic and suspicion in the Arab world.
In Lawrence’s time there was a lot of delegation of power. The British officers were allowed to take independent decisions after befriending the local chiefs. Now we have ‘illiterate’ dim-witted politicians sitting in the world capitals ordering soldiers/officers on the spot what to do and what not to do.
Unless a foreign soldier/civilian learns to befriend an Arab first and wins his confidence, nothing can be achieved in West Asia. I agree with Shaun that Arabs are fiercely independent and there is no guarantee that even then they would cooperate.
I have been saying repeatedly over the past few years that the Arabs have to be left alone. After having created the present mess/confusion, the US administration would have to seek UN/world leaders’ help to get out of this quick-sand (remember Shaun that scene where a helpless Lawrence tries to save a young Arab).
A very interesting post. “Lawrence of Arabia” clearly has analogies to the 21st century Middle East.
It is truly an amazing movie…perhaps the finest cinematography I have ever seen, with Lean’s shots of the vast deserts.
Two quotes from the movie, regarding Shaun’s post:
Lawrence:
“Sherif Ali: So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe…so long will they be
a little people…a silly people. Greedy, barbarous and cruel,
as you are.”
You can’t get much more politically incorrect than that! Would this pass Hollywood censors today?
Faisel: “The English have a great hunger for
desolate places.”
I think this last quote is the BIG difference between the English and the US in the Middle East. The British were fascinated by the region, studied it for centuries with explorers wandering about disquised as Arabs and speaking the language fluently. Its empire builders often ignored Arabists like Lawrence, but they could still draw upon their skills.
Americans seem largely indifferent to the world beyond its shores. Vague about geography and often not bothering to reflect on the complexities of other cultures. No offense. I love America. But just recently there were news stories about an extraordinary lack of Arab speakers/translators at the FBI…this, years after 9-11.
Empire builders always need pains-in-the-ass like Lawrence.
Looks to me as if the first picture should be in 4:3 TV foramt, rathe than widescreen. Or do you really believe that Sharif and Quinn made such long faces in this movie?
Swaraaj…you say you worked at the Saudi Gazette in 1976?
I would be curious…and others here too probably…to know your thoughts on the changes in the US-West/Arab relationship over that time as a result of that perspective?
Swaraaj: it seems to me that one of the main problems is that many people involved simply know little or virtually nothing about the cultures. They approach them as if they’re Westerners. I once read somewhere, don’t remember where right now, about how Arabs ‘negotiate’: they talk about, indeed, families for hours and then they go home. Without ever having talked business. Then they come back, same thing… until they have decided that they can trust you, etc.
Anyway, this also is related to Marlow’s comment: I agree completely, it’s one of America’s most significant problems regarding foreign policy matters: the ignorance, even of it’s leaders, about other countries and cultures.
Anyway, you write:
That’s absolutely impossible. If they would be left alone, Iran would have nuclear weapons within no time. If they would be left alone certain countries would become true safe havens (even more than now) for terrorists, etc.
I have written some posts about my stay in Saudi Arabia. Please click here to visit one such post. Some other time I would attempt the comparison about the change in US/Saudi perspective in another post.
May I suggest that it is worthwhile to go through my earlier post on Gertrude Bell of Iraq…please click here.
By leaving Arabs alone I meant that don’t stupidly barge into any country…as happened in Iraq. Even if the situation so demands, the consensus of the world community is important…as happened in the case of Afghanistan. Even then prolonged stay in a country by foreign troops is a sure invitation to disaster.
I noticed the update. ANOTHER DVD version of “Lawrence of Arabia” is coming out?
This is simply disgraceful!! Who do they think they are? George Lucas?
With each DVD release, wait a month and there is a Special Edition. For popular classics…there may be a Director’s Cut.
Then a Super Special Anniversary Edition, remasterd in 6.1 Dolby.
I have a beautiful version of “Lawrence of Arabia” on my shelf, and now there is another one?
Why does going to the video store these days feel like being in a shower scene in a prison movie?
“Excuse me, sir, but I think you dropped your soap…”
Sunday Links…
T.E. Lawrence was one of the most fascinating people in recent history, and his Seven Pillars of Wisdom remains a masterpiece – and a page-turner. His role in the present-day Middle East is not overlooked by Moderate Voice. I doubt that Gen. Petraeus …
[...] We had interesting comments that followed two TMV posts – The Lessons of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ by Shaun Mullen, and my post on Myth of Muslim Support for Terror [...]
[...] had interesting comments that followed two TMV posts – The Lessons of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ by Shaun Mullen, and my post on Myth of Muslim Support for [...]