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US Army Bans Display Of American Flags In Iraq - NY Times
Dow Jones News Wire
| 4/10/03
| Steven C. Higgins
Posted on 04/10/2003 9:33:28 AM PDT by BunnySlippers
US Army Bans Display Of American Flags In Iraq - NY Times
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--The U.S. Army has barred any display of the American flag in Iraq on vehicles, buildings, statues and command posts, the New York Times reported Thursday.
The report said Gen. William S. Wallace, the commander of the Army's V Corps, sent a message Thursday to his commanders in Iraq and Kuwait.
The Times quoted the message as saying, "U.S./coalition forces continue operations to remove/disarm the Saddam regime and liberate Iraq. Displaying the American flag counters the perception that we are liberators and allows enemy and other bad actors to use the images of our flags prominently displayed to reinforce their message that the U.S. is here to oppress the Iraqis."
The report said the message added, "The pride and patriotism of V Corps soldiers is beyond question and the motivation to display our flag is understandable."
It added, however, that, "in this environment the display of our flag is not helpful."
The report said the order effectively halts the display of the flag anywhere in Iraq except the U.S. Embassy.
At the start of the war, the Times said, the Coalition Forces Land Component Command near Kuwait City ordered troops not to place the American flag on vehicles or buildings. The order, the report said, was loosely followed.
The order comes one day after a U.S. Marine briefly placed an American flag atop a statue of Saddam Hussein in central Baghdad shortly before the statue was toppled.
-By Steven C. Higgins
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
04-10-03 1213ET- - 12 13 PM EDT 04-10-03
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: centcom; flagraising; iraqifreedom; oldglory
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To: BunnySlippers
I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple of violators of this rule...
21
posted on
04/10/2003 9:45:27 AM PDT
by
sargon
To: BunnySlippers
Army, not Marine Corps.
Marines do it the way Ironworkers top off a building with a pine tree. It's tradition.
To: Dimensio
My first reflex is to say this is Bull$hit (which it is) however you are absolutely right. The Arab Media would do this at the first opportunity, unfortunately I think this is the right decision considering the obstacles that we have already faced and the ones that have yet to raise their ugly head.
To: BunnySlippers
We will just let the liberated folks do the flag waving.
24
posted on
04/10/2003 9:48:23 AM PDT
by
smith288
(Visit my gallery http://www.ejsmithweb.com/fr/hollywood/hollywood.php)
To: BunnySlippers
If not showing the Flag saves lives...than get over it folks...we are bigger...much bigger
The Arab cultures are cultures of hyperbole...such as swatting Saddam in the face witha shoe...
Lets observe their culture and SAVE LIVES
To: BunnySlippers
How about University Of Georgia Flags? Are they acceptable?
26
posted on
04/10/2003 9:48:28 AM PDT
by
Borneo1
To: ladtx
What about the US flags the freed Iraqii's are flying?I would like to ask the Iraqi demonstrators where they found US flags to fly in Iraq.
Wal-Mart?
27
posted on
04/10/2003 9:48:48 AM PDT
by
wanderin
To: BunnySlippers
This is a carefully thought-out political decision. We have stated clearly that we are not there to take over Iraq...only to depose a corrupt regime.
Our first order of business soon will be to help the Iraqis install their own government. If we were conquerors, raising the US flag would make sense. We are not.
Let the Iraqis display the US flag if they want. That's a good thing. But...we should not be flaunting the flag ourselves.
Let's get in there, pacify the country, and get a government installed, then get the heck out of there. That's what we said we'd do, so let's do it.
I expect this decision about the flag will be altered shortly, to allow flag display on US property, like our tanks, etc. But the wrapping of Sadaam's head in the flag was a wrong-headed thing to do. In the first place, it is not the proper way to display the flag. In the second, it is not us who benefits from Hussein being gone...it is the people of Iraq.
To: wanderin
I noticed some were homemade.
29
posted on
04/10/2003 9:49:28 AM PDT
by
ladtx
("...the very obsession of your public service must be Duty, Honor, Country." D. MacArthur)
To: sargon
Folks this is not just a war of bullets but of PR as well and anyone who ignores that is missing the bigger picture. Are we there to conquer or liberate? Are we claiming the land as ours or are we returning it to the people? Do we want the Arab world to view as conquerers? And yes, we had better care what they think unless of course we plan on fighting everyone or having moderate governments fall to their extremists.
To: BunnySlippers
"...And that flag still stands for freedom, And they can't take that awaaaayyy!!!!"
--Lee Greenwood.
The display of the American flag has nothing to do with domination. It has ALL to do with liberation and freedom.
To: BunnySlippers
Isn't banning the American flag a form of OPPRESSION? If they can't wave whatever flag they want, they aren't liberated
32
posted on
04/10/2003 9:51:17 AM PDT
by
proust
(Hello, Cthulhu!)
To: BunnySlippers
It added, however, that, "in this environment the display of our flag is not helpful."What flag should be displayed then? The UN flag, or perhaps the French or German flags?
Should our troops wear masks and other disguises so as not to give away their identity.
Should we make it appear that the coalition forces are really the "Iraqi army in exile" making its triumphant return to liberate their nation? This international PC is a bunch of Bovine Splatter!
33
posted on
04/10/2003 9:51:24 AM PDT
by
varon
To: BunnySlippers
What about Confederate flags? There was sure no shortage of them flying atop tanks in Desert Storm. I think that would be hilarious, a stick in the eye to both the type of bureaucrat that would order the American flag to remain invisible as well as any who would question our pride and our presence in Iraq. But then, I have no taste or discretion, no sense of decorum; I am but an ill-bred Southern lady without training in international diplomacy. I like few things more than annoying those who imagine themselves to be sophisticated. Don't listen to me.
34
posted on
04/10/2003 9:51:26 AM PDT
by
Capriole
(Foi vainquera)
To: Borneo1
35
posted on
04/10/2003 9:51:43 AM PDT
by
Borneo1
To: BunnySlippers
It sucks, but its probably the right thing to do. This is freedom for Iraqis, not conquest for america. You and I know that, and we know the flag is a show of pride, but we have to keep up appearances. Don't worry, I'll fly an extra flag now. :)
36
posted on
04/10/2003 9:52:17 AM PDT
by
CaptainJustice
(Dangerous Jesus Lover)
To: BunnySlippers
While I can understand to some degree the feeling that we want to reinforce our status as Liberators to a somewhat skeptical Arab worldwide audience...
I also strongly believe that it is part of the Arab and Muslim enemy's strategy to make us embarassed to fly our own flag, and to be embarassed by our own pride in country.
Look how many leftist jerks right here in the US of A are telling our own schools and govt buildings they should take down the Stars and Stipes because someone "might be offended".
I'll tell you what: the only people "offended" or "radicalized" by the sight of the US Flag are America haters who will never like us no matter what we do.
We have become so "sensitively attuned" to the al Jazeera's of the world and the French scumsucking bastards of the world, that when we see a brave US Marine proudly displaying the US flag on enemy soil, we recoil and say "take it down, so the Arabs won't hate us more."
Maybe someday, the PC-Correct State Dept and the PC-Correct high military officers will say: LEAVE THE US FLAG UP THERE TO LET THE STINKING ARAB WORLD SEE EXACTLY WHO HAS THE P-O-W-E-R AND WHO DOESNT.
By the way: the US Marine is a 23-year old from hereabouts in Brooklyn New York, and local papers today said that his family emigrated from oppression in Burma 23 years ago right before he was born. He always wanted to be a US Marine when he was growing up and he got his wish, joining up 4 years ago. Great, great story. Sorry if that offends you, Genl. Wallace.
37
posted on
04/10/2003 9:53:12 AM PDT
by
UncleSamUSA
(the land of the free and the home of the brave)
To: American Soldier
Bump.
38
posted on
04/10/2003 9:53:12 AM PDT
by
Howlin
(It's a great day to be an American -- or an Iraqi!)
To: sargon
I think the American flag painted on tanks or as a patch on the uniforms would be great. However, I agree that the American flag on the soil of Iraq would be a huge mistake. We won a great victory, and it would be a shame to fritter away the peace dividend by giving opponents the ammo they need. The Iraqi people obviously know who liberated them. What we don't want to do is allow the other dictators in the region to use selected pictures in their continued brainwashing of their people. Iraq was just one battle in the war to change things in the Middle East. Let's give ourselves the best chance to win that war too.
To: MineralMan
But the wrapping of Sadaam's head in the flag was a wrong-headed thing to do.I read (at the CNN site, I think) an interview with the Marine who was holding the flag over the Saddam statue. He said it was handed to him by an Iraqi. FWIW.
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