Servicemen In Iraq 1943

The University of Chicago Press is publishing the 1943 manual "Instructions for American Servicemen in Iraq During World War II". This ironic document was created while Iraq was part of the worldwide offensive against Germany and points out that "Herr Hitler knows he's licked if the peoples united against him stand their ground".

Here's an excerpt describing Iraqi fighters:

"That tall man in the flowing robe you are going to see soon, with the whiskers and the long hair, is a first-class fighting man, highly skilled in guerrilla warfare. Few fighters in any country, in fact, excel him in that kind of situation. If he is your friend, he can be a staunch and valuable ally. If he should happen to be your enemy - look out! Remember Lawrence of Arabia? Well, it was with men like these that he wrote history in the First World War. Yet you will also find out quickly that the Iraqi is one of the most cheerful and friendly people in the world. If you are willing to go just a little out of your way to understand him, everything will be okay."