Here are a few questions that I have, on this topic, which I figured I would toss out to everyone on this thread. Perhaps someone here is, or knows, a JAG officer or someone of similar expertise. It is specifically about Iraq and Afghanistan.
Given that our enemy’s greatest strength is its ability to blend in with the civilian populace and conduct its insurgent activity when coalition forces are not present, one of the best ways to counter them is to also blend in, so that they their activities are disrupted by the uncertainty of not knowing when they are being observed.
Can anyone quote the section of the Hague or Geneva conventions or any written precedent that states that we must wear uniforms, even if only conducting surveillance? Or, is there no such rule?
What restrictions, if any, are there on Soldiers donning civilian clothes to blend in with the populace and hanging out on street corners, observing insurgent activity and reporting it to its higher headquarters or directing the actions of a unit attempting to maneuver upon those insurgents?
Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War