Diesel

Thinking caps on gents!

Just been watching C4 news and seeing images of Land Rovers with Union Jack flags tacked on them being driven by the Black Watch’s en route to Baghdad.


I find that inappropriate, insensitive and rather nauseating. It smacks of colonialism, vulgarity and of emphasising a nationality based on military dominance. What happened to 'softly softly' - a key and highly intelligent British characteristic?



Waving the flag in Kavos on an 18:30 is one tacky thing, but the implication of boasting a British sovereignty over Irag by waving The Jack is quite another.



Imagine an Iraqi waving their flag in the streets of a ‘broken’ UK. An UK they invaded as they found Labour ineffective and corrupt and collaborating blindly with a huge idiotic but simplistic superpower. Ohh and they also invaded as they thought a monarchy was such an elitist, archaic, waste of money ‘bad thing’. Personally I would go nuts at that…



D

Jerome

When I was there last year, we had to remove all flags from our vehicles and were banned from showing them anywhere else. This was to stop the Iraqis seeing us an an occupying force. Seems the rules have changed.

I imagine UK troops are now being allowed/urged to show the Union Flag to prevent being mistaken for US troops - which in some cases could be very hazardous.

Diesel

That was clearly a common sense and educated policy Jerome.

However I'm not so sure those against being 'occupied' would really care who they hit, be they Yankee 'Eye-rakk' gung-ho's or us nice lovely decent 'cant wait to get out' Brits

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

There's nothing to stop people from another country wandering around the UK waving their national flag all over the place & they do



But I see your point

Diesel

Puff!!! You cant count The Welsh, in Twickenham, once every 2 years

Budgie

iTrader: (4)

oooops, stumbled in by mistake
read the main page and thought this was about waving at other
scooby owners
moving on

Leslie

As Jerome says, and he has positive experience, they probably want to avoid being taken for the US troops who have done little to endear themselves to the Iraqis.

I understand the point made though but doubt that that is the idea behind using our national flag on the vehicles. It may well be unwise since the main objection from the Iraqis is towards what they see as occupying forces. I would feel the same way.

Les

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Perhaps they should wander around sporting a George cross T-shirt, overhanging gut, can of carling and a shaved head instead?

Seriously, if I was out there, and with the current trend to hate the yanks, I'd like to differentiate myself from them so I don't get shot at. Although, with British hostages being taken as well as any other non-eastern person, I'm sure a flag would only serve as an advertisment to take them hostage. Or even advertise a better world for local civillians to emmigrate to, or worse still help create another "blow-back" effect.

Might also help our short sighted, twitchy fingered allies from the US tell the differnce between British troops and Iraqi terrorists.

Jamie

Well said ALI-B lobz a E for ya

Might also help our short sighted, twitchy fingered allies from the US tell the differnce between British troops and Iraqi terrorists.

Jerome

You'd be surprised at how well we got on with the locals in the South. However, the Yanks have been very successful in alienating the even the initially grateful locals further north because of their aggressive approach. There have been a few problems in the south around Basra etc, but these are exceptional compared to the routinte violence where the Yanks are based.

Furthermore, when I was there, I felt more at risk of danger from the Yanks than I did from the Iraqis - during and after the war. Personally I would be willing to risk some wrath from the locals rather than be at the wrong end of yet another "blue on blue" with the Yanks. You would not believe the lengths we went to in an attempt to prevent the Yanks attacking our vehicles from the air. What the British forces call a "negligent discharge" is an unknown concept to the Yanks.

I couldn't help but LOL loud at "positive experience". I know what you mean - and we did have a positive rapport with the locals - I just wouldn't call my time there positive.

I agree that flying Union Flags is unlikely to win us support with the locals, but as I explain above, we are going into trigger-happy-combat-weary Yank territory. Maybe if we could send the Yanks on friendly forces recognition training we would all feel safer out there.

You saw one of my colleagues in the picture thread then?

I doubt may Britsh troops would allow themselves to be taken hostage. They are armed to the teeth now and quite prepared to use deadly force where necessary. You can bet every British serviceman/woman has heard of the beheadings. To think we would go out in 2 vehicle convoys with a total of 4 men, each with only 30 rounds, in some of the areas we did, makes me shudder now. Also, I doubt an influx of immigrants from Iraq is likely for a while yet.

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See above