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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Enemy Donned IDF Uniforms In Lebanon
2006-08-21
In the least friendly fire imaginable, Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon encountered Hezbollah wearing Israel Defense Force uniforms, the Jewish state's leading investigative news program reported. During a battle on the evening of August 6 and early hours of August 7, in the town of Hule, an IDF unit found two Hezbollah dressed in Israeli fatigues and helmets in a civilian home. The battlefield commander was forced to order his men to remove the white hats they wear on their helmets to distinguish his men from the enemy.

An embedded reporter, Itai Engel, from the weekly television news series "Uvda" — widely regarded as Israel's equivalent to "60 Minutes" — filmed the battle with a night vision camera. In an interview yesterday, Mr. Engel said,"There were two of them in one of the houses. The soldiers realized they were wearing army uniforms. They had the helmet cover as well. They were wearing everything the IDF soldiers wear."

The report of Hezbollah in IDF uniforms fighting Israelis shows that Israel's foe has studied the Israel Defense Force closely. The tactic presents a challenge for soldiers trying to fight them; according to Mr. Engel, the house to house fighting was brutal, and the surprise of fighting the enemy in friendly uniforms only added to the fog of war. The story also serves as another example of the Iranian proxy's predilection for fighting outside the laws of war. Earlier, the Israelis claimed Hezbollah fired rockets into its northern towns and cities from civilian positions, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon warned in the first week of fighting that the terrorists were using the U.N. positions as cover.
Posted by:mojo

#11  Why should not Iran be charged by the international community with this offense?

I know, let's have them pass another useless resolution
Posted by: Captain America   2006-08-21 21:54  

#10  Simple solution, stitch RFID tags into each uniform that matches whichever soldier's dogtag (also RFID active) that the outfit is issued to. Anyone wearing a uniform that does not successfully interrogate with a paired RFID dogtag code is immediately apprehended or (if positive biometric mismatch is confirmed), shot on sight.

I have to agree with, NS. These constantly escalating violation of the rules of engagement will eventually result in the West abandoning all pretenses of battlefield etiquette. This will be a good thing because only by giving up on (as .com has said), "all this Order of the Garter" sh!t will we ever have a chance of vanquishing our terrorist foes. They prove this to us in each and every engagement. It is time for us to respond accordingly.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-08-21 19:14  

#9  I should have been more clear. I realize a lot of the sectarians murders are done by those wearing (fake, sometimes not) police uniforms. I'm surprised we haven't seen Saddamites and terrorists don fake US uniforms and weapons in order to ambush American patrols. This could work at early morning or dusk when lighting makes identification difficult.
Posted by: ed   2006-08-21 17:42  

#8  Ed,
Unfortunately, they use friendly uniforms alot in Iraq. That's how they they got the Blackwater guys in Falluja. Also, Zarqawi routinely drove around dressed as a high ranking Iraqi officer.

Al
Posted by: frozen al   2006-08-21 17:09  

#7  Word, NS.
Posted by: flyover   2006-08-21 16:19  

#6  The story also serves as another example of the Iranian proxy's predilection for fighting outside the laws of war.

This is good. They have never followed the "rules" of war, while the west has studiously. The more of this that comes to light, the less will be the pressure on the west to continue to observe the rules. And that is when this war will begin to be won, not because the rules will be broken, because they generally won't, but because it will mean the west finally realizes it is in a war and victory is more important than rules.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-08-21 16:18  

#5  Hmm. Is this how they were able to capture the Israeli soldiers?
Posted by: ex-lib   2006-08-21 15:59  

#4  At a minimum an on the spot conversion via bayonet circumcision.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-08-21 15:46  

#3  Why should not Iran be charged by the international community with this offense?
Posted by: Capsu 78   2006-08-21 15:38  

#2  I'm surprised we haven't seen more of this in Iraq. There are plenty of available Fritz helmets used by the Iraqi forces and uniforms can be copied. Maybe there are so few American weapons captured to make this very rare, though M-16s should be easy to smuggle in from Lebanon.
Posted by: ed   2006-08-21 14:36  

#1  That's a hanging offense by the rules of war.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2006-08-21 13:57  

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