WTF? US Soldiers Wear Iraqi Flags On Their Arms Now??

[leftchick]

Whose brilliant idea was this one? :eyes:



A US soldier wearing the Iraqi flag on his arm secures the area with others at the scene of an explosion on the outskirts of Baghdad. A suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint near the Baghdad offices of Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's political party, killing four people and wounding 24, in an attack claimed by an Al-Qaeda-linked group(AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye)

[Jesus H. Christ]

1. I'll bet Bush thought that one up.

It's his latest effort to confuse the enemy into surrenderering.

[leftchick]

2. lol Jesus!

you may be right! :)

[ET Awful]

3. When did Napoleon Dynamite join the Army?

:evilgrin:

[bryant69]

4. You might have to unpack this one for me

I mean it's a sign of supporting the Iraqi government, of paying allegiance to the Iraqi nation. I guess I don't see the problem with them wearing it.

Of course it ignores the larger debate of whether we should be there or not (probably we shouldn't), but if we are going to be there I dont see the problem.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[youngred]

7. because it's illegal

by both US laws and the rules of war....not that this administration has shown a prediliction towards following either

[bryant69]

11. The rules of war?

YOu mean the Geneva Convention? Or something else. I can believe you on it being illegal according to our laws, but the sorts of people most likely to care about that issue support President Bush. On the contrary I'm a bit more comfortable with it, on the theory that we are citizens of the world as much as we are citizens of the United States.

[youngred]

15. According to the Geneva convention

it is illegal to wear the flag/colors of another nation while serving in the military of your own. It is to prevent people from dressing as their opponents, sneaking in and killing the other side.

[bryant69]

16. I suppose the turnabout argument is that

I doubt they are wearing Iraqi flags to convince anybody they aren't United States Troops, and we aren't at war with the Iraqi Army (currently). So this isn't really a violation.

[youngred]

18. reason doesn't matter

it is illegal nonetheless. That is only partially the reason and even if they're not doing it for that reason it is still illegal

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[DS1]

6. You couldn't be more wrong

[Annus Horribilis]

8. No

It's the Iraqi flag.

[Florida_Geek]

9. That is the Iraq Flag

rank goes on collier

[leftchick]

10. then show me a photo of the US Lt. bars for comparrison...

I would like to see It...

[LynnTheDem]

26. A small single gold or sliver bar.

http://www.sproe.com/r/rank-officers.html

[leftchick]

28. Thank you Lynn! These people are way beyond denial...

I suspect they have become kool-aided!

Photo of Lt. Bar...



Note it is vertical and not horizontal and it belongs on a collar! Perhaps the fact that freeps never serve means that they are clueless to Military protocol?

[tabasco]

36. It shows how much chickenhawks know about the military.

They like to fight wars at their monitors with a bowl of cheetohs nearby.

[Florida_Geek]

32. more or less :)

in a combat zone the silver bar is black and the gold bar is baby shit yellow.

[AllegroRondo]

12. Not exactly

you are allowed to wear one foreign award. I wore a German army marksmanship badge for years - lots of soldiers who served in Germany do.

[youngred]

20. awards are different than the colours of another nation though n/t

[LynnTheDem]

24. Not true.

You are allowed to wear a foreign award ON DRESS UNIFORM ONLY.

NOT on BDUs.

That is NOT a foreign award, it's an Iraqi flag patch.

[LynnTheDem]

21. My military hubby is laughing...

No actually that is NOT his rank; it's an Iraqi flag. Single bar on his hat and on his collar = Lt.

Left shoulder patch = flag.

[leftchick]

29. I am curious Lynn...

What is your hubby's reaction to this symbol? Is this a new thing for the US Military?

[tabasco]

35. Hahahahahahaha!! Lieutenant bars !!!!!

They must have changed the uniform since I was a shavetail !!

[Tinoire]

43. LMAO! Any bullshit will do I guess.

LMAO. 20 years in the US Army and never have I read something as ridiculous as this.

Would you KINDLY post a graphic of lietenant bars for all to see?

[leftchick]

44. Here is a Close-Up View... IT IS A Flag!

A US soldier wearing the Iraqi flag secures the area of an explosion on the outskirts of Baghdad. Four people were killed and 24 wounded in a suicide car bomb blast near the Baghdad headquarters of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqi National Accord party(AFP/Ahmad Al-Rubaye)

[Trajan]

13. Wow ....

I pledge allegiance to ...... Iraq ? ...

SURELY this will insult the Rabid Rightwingers ? ...

I feel insulted by this ....

[gratuitous]

19. Yeah, wasn't this a rabid right talking point?

For years they've been scaring folks with the notion that if the United States was to obey international law, and take its place as one nation in the community of nations, that our soldiers would come under the command of foreigners, who might order them to invade the United States (or some other such hare-brained nonsense)?

And now, the U.S. military (by the way, I believe the fellow in the photo has captain's bars on his helmet brim -- though I could easily be wrong) is running around Iraq, sporting the flag of another nation on their sleeve! Where's the outrage from the rabid right? Or is this just another example of their situational ethics wherein something is categorically wrong even when it doesn't happen, but okay when it actually happens under their leaders?

[pa28]

14. This is an interesting one.

Are we providing officers and troops to the Iraqi security forces to shore up discipline?

If so I wonder whose control they fall under.

[LynnTheDem]

17. Interpreter.

It's a US military interpreter.

[Straight Shooter]

22. Very interesting.

Learn something new every day on DU.

[ashmanonar]

23. where did you hear this from?

and do you know if its absolutely true, or not?

[LynnTheDem]

25. My US Military soldier hubby.

That's where I get all the good inside gossip. ;)

[ashmanonar]

45. ahaa

i'll believe you then...lol

just making sure, you never know where people pull this stuff out of...

[0007]

27. Whose brilliant idea was this one?

Probably that Iran/Contra convict, John Negroponte. The guy that ran the death squads in Nicaragua. The guy that took over Paul Bremer's job as hatchet man.

[spanone]

30. We broke it, we own it.

[Groggy]

31. Did anyone consider....

that the photo is fake? I seriously doubt that a U.S. soldier would be wearing an Iraqi flag. Either he's an Iraqi soldier (he doesn't look like it though) or its a fake.

Of course I could be wrong... :shrug:

[PaganPreacher]

33. Not "his" arm....It's a woman!

Look at the hair peeking out from the edges of her helmet.

Gods, the press is worthless! Can't tell man from woman.




The Pagan Preacher
I don't turn the other cheek.

[Groggy]

34. lol

actually, I was thinking that too...the eyes look like a woman's! Hard to see through those big glasses though!

[leftchick]

37. I agree...

each time I viewed the photo I thought he was a she! Sad isn't it?

[PaganPreacher]

40. Even sadder....

she looks cute, and definitely feminine! No doubting that she is a woman.

The Pagan Preacher
I don't turn the other cheek.

[katamaran]

38. Back when we were in the Balkans...

...a whole bunch of US soldiers assigned to peacekeeping duty in Yugoslavia/Kosovo/Serbia/etc. were refusing to wear ANY UN peacekeeping symbols...patches, insignia, and shiny blue UN helmets. The argument was that no one in our military should answer to anyone else.

[leftchick]

41. interesting how fast things change....

under a fascist regime.

[Pig_Latin_Lover]

39. Because WE are the Iraqi army now

And the country is in a state of civil war. U.S. Iraq vs Native Iraq.

[blindpig]

42. is that like sewing a Canadian flag on your backpack

so the locals won't diss(or kidnap) you when overseas?