U.S. military advisers in Mosul, Iraq, have been spotted wearing black uniform to blend in with Iraqi special forces during the brutal fight against the Islamic State.
According to U.S. officials in Baghdad who spoke with Military Times, unit commanders are allowed to pick uniforms appropriate to the mission and also confirmed that there’s no single policy mandating a specific type of uniform for U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.
The only general requirement, officials said, is that military uniforms must be distinct from civilian wear, in order to be compliant with international conventions on war.
In other words, as Jeffrey Addicott, director of the Center for Terrorism Law, told Military Times, without proper military insignia on uniforms, U.S. troops could lose their status as lawful enemy combatants.
Still, because the Americans are fighting against ISIS, it doesn’t seem to matter much anyway, as ISIS is not known for respecting the laws of war.
“You’re dealing with an enemy that’s torturing and beheading people,” Addicott said. “They’re going to kill you whether you’re wearing a uniform or not.”
Another reason for the uniform switch is that it helps lower the incidences of friendly fire attacks because U.S. advisers are wearing similar gear to the Iraqis.
Thousands of civilians are fleeing Mosul as the battle continues to rage. So far, Iraqi forces have captured major parts of the western part of the northern Iraqi city, but there are still hundreds of thousands of civilians stuck in western Mosul who are in danger of running out of food. Already, many are saying there is little to no clean water left.
Moreover, more than 200 civilians in Mosul were believed to have been killed by a U.S.-led coalition airstrike. The Pentagon stated Saturday that the airstrike targeted ISIS fighters “at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties.”
Follow Jonah Bennett on Twitter
Send tips to jonah@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.