MRFF Demands Marine Corps Leadership Immediately Investigate Use of Nazi SS Flag by Marines in Afghanistan
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org) is absolutely sickened by the disgusting images of members of the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Recon Battalion, Charlie Company, proudly posing in front of the U.S. flag juxtaposed alongside a symbol associated with the unspeakable horrors of the Nazi Holocaust, the genocide of religious minorities throughout Europe, and the forces of white supremacist racial hatred.
The fact that United States service personnel were caught proudly posing with the emblem of the Nazi SS, which symbolizes the vile ideology of Hitlerian fascism, sends a menacing signal to religious minorities within the United States Armed Forces. The symbol’s usage conveys a message that the U.S. Military is an organization within which white supremacists can feel at home, free to espouse their murderous ideology and proudly don their symbols of hatred.
This brazen display of a symbol which is synonymous with death squads, gas chambers, and brutal occupation reflects a sociopathic, marauding attitude which violently jars with the supposed “nation-building” efforts which the NATO forces have embarked upon. It exacerbates the anti-Americanism felt by the people of the region who we claim to be helping in the context of a UN-mandated, NATO-led security mission.
In short, this shameful display of SS “lightning bolts” by U.S. service personnel enrages our regional allies, emboldens the extremist Islamist forces with whom we are contending, and eviscerates good order, morale, and discipline within the U.S. Marine Corps. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation immediately calls for the leadership of the United States Military to condemn this stomach-turning display without equivocation or delay and severely punish ALL of those responsible.
I was shocked that this could be possible, and did a little background checking.
SEE ALSO:
Camp Pendleton Marines posed with Nazi SS symbol in Afghanistan http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/marines-nazi-symbol-afghanistan-camp-pendleton.html
Does the most recent military scandal reflect a deeper problem?, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/what-is-our-military-culture
Fury from Auschwitz survivors as U.S. Marines sniper squad is seen in Afghanistan with ‘SS’ flag (but they say it refers to ‘scout sniper’ team NOT Hitler’s henchmen), Mark Duell http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2098946/US-Marines-sniper-squad-seen-Afghanistan-posing-Nazi-SS-flag.html
Pamela Geller’s praise for the desecration of dead bodies is not “funny”, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/desecration-of-bodies
Marine Corps Condemns Unit’s Use of SS Flag http://www.military.com/news/article/corps-condemns-marine-units-use-of-ss-flag.html
Marine Corps Insists Marines Are Too Dumb to Know This Is a Nazi Flag http://news.yahoo.com/marine-corps-insists-marines-too-dumb-know-nazi-222920261.html
Marine scout snipers used Nazi SS logo, Dan Lamothe http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/02/marine-scout-snipers-nazi-ss-logo-020912/
Marines spared punishment for posing with Nazi-like flag, Joseph Schuman http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/10/us-marines-flag-nazi-idUSTRE81901220120210
Marines Sport Nazi SS Flag in Afghanistan, Adam Weinstein http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/02/marines-nazi-ss-flag-afghanistan
Photo shows Marines posing with Nazi-like symbol in Afghanistan, Jennifer Rizzo http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/09/photo-shows-marines-posing-with-nazi-like-symbol-in-afghanistan/
US Marines snipers go unpunished after posing with flag bearing Nazi symbol in Afghanistan http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/apnewsbreak-marine-corps-confirms-team-posed-with-flag-bearing-nazi-symbol-in-afghanistan/2012/02/09/gIQArU3j1Q_story.html
Simon Wiesenthal Center Statement on Marine SS Flag Outrage http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=lsKWLbPJLnF&b=4441467&ct=11624277