“Escorted Ethnography

Despite claims that the U.S. military?s new Human Terrain System can ?save lives? by using social scientists to construct ethnographic maps of Iraq and Afghanistan, thereby enabling ?non-lethal alternatives? to combat missions, the American Anthropological Association has officially condemned the program as an ?unacceptable application of anthropological expertise?. Though seemingly based on an insincere investigation of the program?s merits, AAA?s ruling has nevertheless encouraged a broad consensus that the Human Terrain System violates anthropologists? primary ethical obligation to protect their informants from harm. Through analysis of available documents, literature, and interviews with Human Terrain System members, however, it becomes clear that there is more evidence to support the opposite claim: the Human Terrain System certainly does more to protect the interests of Iraqi and Afghan informants than the AAA?s condemnation-without-alternatives does. The author argues that the AAA?s official stance …