A vintage military guide shows that America has been lost in Iraq since World War II

The Bush Administration didn't have the best information about Iraq before they invaded. If only they had listened to the U.S. military—from fifty years ago. It's all there in A Short Guide To Iraq, a pamphlet issued to GI's on Rat Patrol duty during World War II, helping the Brits protect oil fields and supply lines to the Russians. The White House might have learned some valuable lessons, like don't touch the Iraqis, or look at their women. On the following pages, highlights from the War Department's guidebook, discovered in Southern Methodist University's digital archive.