Hearts-and-minds goal called ‘wishful’

“Winning hearts and minds” in Western-occupied nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan is an impossible goal, a British army commander said Tuesday, challenging an often-heard mantra.

“There will of course be circumstances where we can earn the trust of local people . . . establish a constructive dialogue with religious authorities, but I doubt we will or maybe ever have been in a position to win their hearts and minds,” said Lt. Gen. Graeme Lamb, former top British commander in Iraq.

“To suggest that good intentions will cross fundamental cultural, social and religious differences and win over a damaged population is at best dangerous and wishful thinking. The image of winning a heart or a mind is almost ridiculous,” he said at an international security conference here.

He said the best an occupying army could hope for was the consent of local people, and this required delivering tangible benefits such as electricity, water and security.

Among the people, Lamb said, were “some who need us, albeit for a short time, others that will accommodate us, albeit for a short time, and others that will hate us simply for all time.”