As I understood it, this war on Iraq was supposed to be about removing Saddam Hussein and liberating the Iraqi people, not conquering them.
Why then are American troops raising the stars and stripes all over Iraq?
From the wires:
Compare this to the instructions given to British troops entering Iraq:
Come on, cut the poor guys some slack. These are mostly young soldiers, high on adrenalin, who’ve just had people shooting at them. Raising a flag to symbolise victory is unfortunately inappropriate from a diplomatic point of view, but I think it’s understandable and forgiveable from a soldier’s point of view. Besides, the flag was taken down shortly afterwards, according to BBC radio.
I can also “cite” that - I’ve seen the pictures (Reuters) with my own eyes.
“Young soldiers” should be under the wiser, less adrenaline-fuelled control of their senior commanders. Are their commanders aware that they are doing this?
When American troops liberated France, the Netherlands, various Pacific islands, etc., in WWII, the American flag was raised as a matter of course, and it wasn’t considered arrogant or inappropriate. Hell, the flag-raising at Iwo Jima is still an iconic symbol - but it didn’t mean that the US was claiming Iwo Jima.
Raising a flag doesn’t mean that the country whose flag is raised claims to own the turf. If that were true, then every nation in the world claims to own large chunks of New York City. :o
In this war, some may perceive such flag raising in a negative light. That’s fine; the proper thing to do is say, “guys, that’s probably not a good idea,” not accuse them of being “arrogant.”
More flies with honey (and it is more accurate).
Sua
Being military myself, albeit recently retired (Feb, 2000), my first reaction upon hearing about the flag raising was, “WTF? Didn’t the commanding officers think about that?”
Then I realized that the COs have a lot of stuff to think about at the moment. Yes, it was ill-advised to raise the flag there. Even better was the immediate correction of the act.
Sorry AZ - I misread your post - I thought on first reading it applied to the flags going up, not being taken down.
That’s great if they’re being removed.
It would be nice if they could put up some peace symbol (something understood by Iraqis to mean peace) in place of the Iraqi flag, if they wanted to demonstrate that certain places were no longer under Saddam’s control.
Yes, and they made them take the flag down. What part of that don’t you understand?
They are demonstrating in some places that he is no longer in control.
I agree that the symbolism is bad.
I think they should raise a US flag underneath the Iraqi flag to signify liberated areas. Like we fly the Florida flag under the US flag. Or, raise a separate US flag just below the existing Iraqi flags. In no case should there only be US flags flying over Iraq.
But, I don’t think soldiers raising the flag has anything to do with US military occupation, reconstruction, or civilian governance policy. The plan is to get in and out as fast as is possible without leaving Iraq in disarray. Front line troops don’t make policy. And, as mentioned, they have their own reasons for raising flags. For one, to avoid getting shot at.
I find it interesting that a British officer spoke out about this, as the Marines that raised the flag are under British command.
Also I think your statement of “all over” is just plain dishonest. They raised the flag over Umm Qasr briefly, and then took it down.
light strand: All US Marines are under US command.
“In no case should there only be US flags flying over Iraq.”
Isn’t there a similar rule on US soil as well , ie.no international flags flying without a US flag? Respecting that rule in Iraq would be wise.
Suggestion: Get the hell over it.
Sorry Monty. You’re wrong. The15th Marine Expeditionary Force is under direct British command.
The British command of the 15th MEW is, of course, under US command from the top, but the Marines of the 15th MEW are responding directly to the orders of British officers.
If your just being pedantic, then I suppose you’re right. In which case I suppose you could say that Bush himself should have told the Marines not to raise the flag.
Ultimately, perhaps. But not in practice.
**
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4639-2003Mar21.html
No such rule - which is fortunate, otherwise the owner of my favorite Mexican restaurant would have been tossed in jail years ago. 
Sua
If Puerto Rican flags on cars count, then no. Central Florida joke.
I’m not sure about the rules of flags.
Boy Scouts Don’t laugh.
“In peacetime…”?
Flag rules. I could not find rules concerning the present situation, in wartime and in another nation.
Me, if I was in an area formerly occupied by Iraqi soldiers, I would run a US flag up underneath the Iraqi flag. Or, put one up seperately. Don’t sit underneath an Iraqi flag with B-52s prowling around looking for targets.
Just like what the Nazi Germans did when they occupied Poland, France, Holland, Austria, Czechlosvakia etc… Raised their flag in those countries. Just like what the US is doing in Iraq. Very simular.
Heil Bush
“No such rule - which is fortunate, otherwise the owner of my favorite Mexican restaurant would have been tossed in jail years ago.”
By rule I didn’t necessarily mean something enforced by legal authorities. There is apparently a rule that no other national flag is flown in a position superior to the US flag. I don’t know if there is a corrolary which says that the US flag has to be there when some other national flag is flying.
What makes this particular case inappropriate is that the US soldiers actually took down the Iraqi flag before putting up the US flag. And it’s been captured on photo so it will be used as propoganda around the Arab world.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030321/161/3kxn1.html