# Is it a bad idea to dress in ''the enemy's'' uniforms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-dress-in-the-enemys-uniforms/162596 "2003-03-19T18:49:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-dress-in-the-enemys-uniforms/162596/1 "2003-03-19T18:49:06Z")
This is not any debate on the current Iraq situation. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. I heard a news blurb that some Iraqi soldiers might be outfitted with American uniforms and ordered to murder Iraqi civilians in order to show how the murderous children-eating Westerners treat “others.” I’m not looking for verification of that news story. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. That will happen or not happen regardless. . . . Anyway, the real question: I heard once that under the Geneva Convention(s?), that a combatant who dresses in the enemy’s uniform is not considered a soldier, but a spy, and thus is not subject to the POW treatments prescribed by the GC. Anything to it??? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-dress-in-the-enemys-uniforms/162596/2 "2003-03-19T19:19:36Z")
IANAL. There are certain conditions where wearing an enemy uniform is OK under the [Hague Convention (1907)](http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/hague/hague5.html). The phrase “legitimate ruse of war” is used for such cases and covers covert ops, spying, or escaping POW camps. Fighting in enemy uniforms is not allowed. There appears to be a grey area between the two extremes, though. Art. 23. In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden - … (f) To make improper use of a flag of truce, of the national flag or of the military insignia and uniform of the enemy, as well as the distinctive badges of the Geneva Convention; If you violate the rules of the Hague convention, then the [Geneva Convention](http://193.194.138.190/html/menu3/b/91.htm) doesn’t apply An interesting article here:- [http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/skorzeny.htm](http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/skorzeny.htm) ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-dress-in-the-enemys-uniforms/162596/3 "2003-03-19T20:35:41Z")
I always find the rules of war fascinating. You are allowed to burn the enemy alive with napalm, but not use gas. You are allowed to use air incendary devices which will maim and kill over a large area, but not use dum dum bullets. You are not allowed to dress like the enemy, but you are allowed to pretend to be the enemy over the radio (psycological warfare). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-dress-in-the-enemys-uniforms/162596/4 "2003-03-19T21:00:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tapioca Dextrin \* > The phrase “legitimate ruse of war” is used for such cases and covers covert ops, **spying,** So by the wording, if you wear the enemy’s uniform in order to spy, you can’t be shot as a spy. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-dress-in-the-enemys-uniforms/162596/5 "2003-03-19T21:18:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scm1001 \* > \*\*I always find the rules of war fascinating. You are allowed to burn the enemy alive with napalm, but not use gas. You are allowed to use air incendary devices which will maim and kill over a large area, but not use dum dum bullets. You are not allowed to dress like the enemy, but you are allowed to pretend to be the enemy over the radio (psycological warfare). \*\* Yeah they are strange. I’m just readin an [article](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,81564,00.html) about teargas being banned in the upcoming war. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-dress-in-the-enemys-uniforms/162596/6 "2003-03-19T21:27:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*So by the wording, if you wear the enemy’s uniform in order to spy, you can’t be shot as a spy. 😉 \*\* To answer the GQ, then no. If you are caught spying, you can be executed for spying but you cannot be shot again just for wearing the wrong uniform. If you are caught spying, even if you are wearing the enemies’ uniform, but not shot, then you have to be treated in accordance with the Geneva convention. Bit like I say, IANAL ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-dress-in-the-enemys-uniforms/162596/7 "2003-03-19T21:33:57Z")
Given the general disposition of things, If youre caught in the wrong uniform and you are not spying, they’ll arrest you as a terrorist. Then they shoot you. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-dress-in-the-enemys-uniforms/162596/8 "2003-03-19T21:48:03Z")
After WWII the famous German commando Otto Skorzeny was charged with, among other things, wearing American uniforms. He was acquitted when it became clear that U.S. and British commandos had used essentially the same tricks that he had. There’s some commentary on the case here: [http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/skorzeny.htm](http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/skorzeny.htm)