Army: 'Three Cups of Tea' Not Required Reading

By Charles S. Clark

Since the "60 Minutes" April 17 investigative piece questioning the honesty of philanthropist Greg Mortenson and his top-selling book about building schools in Afghanistan, the Pentagon has remained silent. That's not surprising given that Mortenson's 2007 memoir Three Cups of Tea has played a central role in inspiring the U.S. Army's efforts to win the hearts and minds of the war-ravaged Afghan population.

According to Monday news reports, the Nobel-Prize nominee, who has denied charges that he has misused donated funds and misstated his accomplishments in his book, has just been admitted to a hospital for heart surgery.

A U.S. Army spokesman, meanwhile, replied to a Government Executive query on the sticky topic. "While I can't speak for every commander, in general, there is no Army 'required reading' list for troops heading to Afghanistan," said Gary Tallman, a civilian deputy in the Army's Media Relations Division. "Some commanders do have professional development reading lists, but in the case of this particular book, it is not an Army requirement to consult Three Cups of Tea before deploying to Afghanistan."