Despite the American Anthropological Association’s condemnation of the Human Terrain program, in which anthropologists have been recruited to assist with counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon wants to expand the program. Congress is currently considering the Pentagon’s request for increased funding for the program.
Please join us in expressing our firm opposition to this abuse of anthropology by agreeing to add your signature to the “Anthropologists’ Statement on the Human Terrain System Program.” Modeled after a well-publicized 2008 statement written by economists to oppose the Bush administration’s first TARP program, this statement aims to clearly and concisely state the factual grounds for our opposition.
We want to collect the signatures of as many professional anthropologists as possible before Congress takes up the issue in a hearing scheduled for as early as February. To add your name to the statement, please email your name, title and affiliation to nohumanterrain@gmail.com. Please forward this appeal widely.
You can access the AAA Commission’s report on the Human Terrain Program (PDF) here.
The Network of Concerned Anthropologists Steering Committee: Catherine Besteman, Andrew Bickford, Greg Feldman, Gustaaf Houtman, Roberto Gonzalez, Hugh Gusterson, Jean Jackson, Kanhong Lin, Catherine Lutz, David Price and David Vine
Image: “Human Terrain Team Anthropologist Alex Metz: A native of the Pacific Northwest, social scientist Alec Metz is part of the Human Terrain Team that advises the ADT on Afghan tribal culture and interactions,” creative commons licensed Flickr content by user wfiupublicradio.
anthropologyworks 