Pictured: British Troops Wear Santa Hats to Fight the Taliban - After They Come Under Fire....

Daily Mail (UK) ^ | December 23, 2008 | David Williams

[Cecily]

Christmas for the Commandos in Afghanistan was always going to be different - but no one could have predicted just how different. One minute they were singing carols at dusk beneath a mellow sun in the baked bare wasteland of Helmand province while wearing festive Santa hats, the next they were firing mortars after their Christmas Day service came under attack from the Taliban. So rapid was the reaction of Royal Marines of 40 Commando that within less than a minute of the first "contact" from the Taliban's machine guns, they had sprinted the 200 metres to their mortar lines and had begun to return fire.

[Cecily]

Merry Christmas, terrorists!

[.44 Special]

Aye! Santa’s Little helpers.

[autumnraine]

I find sooooo many things nice about that picture.

A) Muscles

B) Cute Santa hat showing sense of humor and Christmas spirit while doing a manly job

C) Just KNOWING that those fellas have a sexy British accent

D) They are handling ROCKETS!

E) Courage in a battlezone

F) Muscles

[MrEdd]

But that wicked old mullah was so sly
and so slick
he thought up a lie
and he...BOOM
blew up real good.

[CE2949BB]

I want a framed print of that picture! I love it!

[massgopguy]

Just as I thought, CRUSADERS. This is a Hate Crime.

[weegee]

[savedbygrace]

British Commandos wrap Christmas presents
for the Taleban in Afghanistan

[Republic of Texas]

Few things are as satisfying as a productive day at the office.

[Yossarian]

Ah, cute...
...but doesn't the color bright red against desert dust make for a really easy sniper target?!?

[Cecily]

The other pictures:

[Bringbackthedraft]

I don’t think they would have been so festive had they been in Bastogne the winter of 44’ fighting a different enemy.

[aculeus]

Great!

Our Brit friends can be pains in the arse (their spelling) so often then they (some of them) do something like this and all is forgiven.

Merrye Christmas to the Brits!

[PissAndVinegar]

I bet, as they launched each one, they more likely commented “Merry Christmas, @#$*&(*)@#$!”

[IrishPennant]

[kalee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wskT6YfVB6E

Achmed the Dead Terrorist sings Christmas Carols.

[BGHater]

Policemen demonstrate their skills during their graduation ceremony in Baghdad December 22, 2008. More than 1000 policemen graduated from the National Police Training Academy in Baghdad on Monday.

[CE2949BB]

The others are okay, but the first one - the "in action" one - is the best.

There's something about it - the combination of soldiers wearing Santa hats and loading the mortar - that just makes it perfect.

[jbwbubba]

We told you “NO MORE FRUITCAKE”

[Polynikes]

Would have been a nice touch if they put Santa's reindeer's names on the mortar rounds. “Come Donner ( Hang - Drop _Woomph), Come Blitzen ( Hang - Drop _Woomph) etc. :~)