Liberators or Punishers?

From BAGnewsNotes, in a post called Our Gang:

Yesterday, I saw an image from Iraq that really struck me.

It was a stencil — almost like a gang insignia — on the wall of a petrol station that had just been raided by U.S. soldiers. The symbol was a skull with the the number “24” inscribed in it.

Us.Yimg.Com P Ap 20050125 Capt.Mac10301251028.Iraq Mosul Mac103

Having looked at a good number of newswire photographs, I’ve started to recognize the work of particular photographers and even some outfits in which they’ve been embedded. In this case, I won’t mention the infantry unit that conducted this raid, but the caption identified it as having a “24” in it.

Here’s the photo, AP Photo/Jim MacMillan:

Here’s the problem: That skull is the icon of a certain Marvel character, the Punisher.

We have an infantry unit in Iraq that has taken the icon of someone who doesn’t hand out justice, but punishment. Not, say, Captain America or Superman. Although, to be fair, Cap’s shield probably looks too much like a target to these guys.

4 thoughts on “Liberators or Punishers?”

  1. “We have an infantry unit in Iraq that has taken the icon of someone who doesn’t hand out justice, but punishment.”

    Are the two mutually exclusive?

  3. Well, the Punisher character is an Ex-Soldier who goes out to kill bad guys after he loses everything. He’s a take no Prisioners guy, a “pull the Trigger” guy, and more importantly a SOLDIER. If these guys identify with that, so be it, thats what they really are doing for a living over there. These are not teenagers playing soldier with Airsoft guns, thats real life and Death they face every day.

    They have to intimidate opposition where Death hold no fear, and a soldier with open arms is an easy target. So in this case, I dont blame them for taking a Deaths Head as a mascot, even though Special Forces Snipers like the fictional Frank Castle, have been using it as a Logo for years. And given they have a President who hasn’t got a clue how to fight wars running the show, they need every ounce of intimidation to Win the fight and gain full control in Iraq.

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