US soldiers with YPG insignias unacceptable, says Turkish FM

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Last edited Fri May 27, 2016, 11:12 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has strongly reacted to photos of U.S. special operations forces wearing Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Unit (YPG) insignia on their shoulders during an assault on Syria’s Raqqa, saying it is “unacceptable.”

“It is unacceptable that an ally country is using the YPG insignia. We reacted to it. It is impossible to accept it. This is a double standard and hypocrisy,” said Çavuşoğlu on May 27.

Commenting on the photos, the Pentagon acknowledged that special operations forces do what they can “to blend in with the community.” “Special operations forces, when they operate in certain areas, do what they can to blend in with the community to enhance their own protection, their own security,” said Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook during a May 26 press briefing, adding that he would not comment on specific photos.

Agence France-Presse released photos showing armed men in uniform identified by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as U.S. special operations in the northern Syrian province of Raqqa on May 25. Some of the men seen in the photos wore an YPG insignia on their shoulders.


Read more: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-soldiers-with-ypg-insignias-unacceptable-says-turkish-fm.aspx?pageID=238&nID=99734&NewsCatID=510

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Update to include pic/videos



from video @ https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/736075253969911808

Pentagon discussion:

[bemildred]

1. Tough. nt

[FairWinds]

2. Turkey is one of Daesh's biggest supporters . .

(along with Saudi), and its behavior shows why
the Kurds need their own independent state.

[Bad Dog]

3. Erdogan gets more dictatorial and capricious

with each passing day.

[James48]

4. ?

I do believe that wearing the distinctive insignia of a different national military force is a violation of the Geneva Convention and law of war.


See
https://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/other/irrc_853_pfanner.pdf

[keylargo]

5. You really think,

the "Laws of War" are being used by anybody in the Mid-east? Welcome to reality 101... More likely we are using rules of engagement. I'm all for any rule that keeps our boys safe and if wearing a patch is what it takes, I say go for it! I also can't remember where "beheading" was written in the Laws of War. Don't get me wrong, I am against war in general, but I also support the Troops who are sent to fight by dumbass neo-con politicians.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_engagement

[Rafale]

6. That's correct

Reminds me of Russia's violation of the Convention in the Ukraine.

[braddy]

10. The Russians are using a small velcro patch on their normal Russian military uniform?

[IMG][/IMG]

[malthaussen]

7. Might be a grey area...

... the Kurdish People's Protection Unit is probably not a "national military force" under the law. Given that the whole involvement in the Mid East is iffy under international law, and also given that special forces units violate whatever laws they deem expedient, one might argue that it is not actionable to wear those patches.

And after all, what the Turks are really complaining about is us seemingly sanctioning the Kurds. I don't think their objection is on legal grounds.

-- Mal

[braddy]

8. That is a long PDF, what specifically are you wanting us to see in it?

[24601]

9. I believe the blanket statement is too narrow of an interpretation. During WWII, Germans infiltrated

US lines wearing US uniforms but then changed back to their own uniforms for fighting during the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, it was judged permissible.

What is more likely the correct interpretation would be that you cannot wear an adversary uniform while engaged in fighting with that adversary.

I haven't seen the pictures - what's noted was wearing a YPG insignia on their (presumably US) uniforms. As described, it would seem the equivalent to the practice of allies adding a US rank equivalency to their national uniforms. The key here is to not be hit by allied fire.

[Ironing Man]

11. ...

after the recent Paris attacks, soldiers from a number of NATO nations who worked at NATO formations/bases wore French flags in place of their own national flags, and as you say, its now pretty standard for non-US senior officers working in predomenantly US formations/bases to wear US style rank alongside their own national rank so that people know who they are.

not, i think, contrary to the laws of war...

that it winds up Erdogan is probably not unwelcome - patience with our ally has not just worn thin, its positively non-existant.

[nyabingi]

12. The Russians just stated, within the last day or two, that

ISIS and other religious radicals fighting to destroy Syria get daily supplies of weapons and ammunition from Turkey.

The US needs to either confront Turkey about their sponsorship of ISIS or stop telling the American public that the US is fighting to stop ISIS.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

13. US commandos ordered to remove 'inappropriate' YPG patches

US commandos ordered to remove 'inappropriate' YPG patches

Washington (AFP) - US special operations forces photographed in Syria wearing the insignia of Kurdish troops considered terrorists by Turkey have been ordered to remove the patches, a military spokesman said Friday.

Ankara accused the United States, a NATO ally, of "unacceptable" behavior for such an overt display of support for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

"Wearing those YPG patches was unauthorized and inappropriate, and corrective action has been taken," Baghdad-based military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren told Pentagon reporters.

"We have communicated as much to our military partners and military allies in the region."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-commandos-ordered-remove-inappropriate-ypg-patches-174708199.html?ref=gs

[EX500rider]

14. Boo-Hiss....should have told Turkey to mind their own beeswax..

[roamer65]

15. Smeagol can go fuck himself. N/t

[Jesus Malverde]

16. How do you say go f yourself in Turkish.

Edrogan is ISIS's partner.