Why doesn't the U.S. dress its soldiers as terrorists to confuse the insurgents and avoid getting attacked?

Question

The insurgents are always looking for American targets to attack. So the key is for them to dress up like insurgents so they are not viewed as targets.

The U.S. only shoots at people that first engage them. So I don't believe there would be a risk of friendly fire. Besides they could up come up with a method of telling each other apart from the enemy.

I was thinking the could masks that would make it impossible to tell their ethnic background.

Answer 1

US soldiers may shoot at them, thinking they were terrorists cause they couldn't tell the difference.

my husband is over there right now, so not a fan of ideas that put him in more danger.

Answer 2

Its called the Law of Armed Conflict. It specifically states that military members in a conflict must wear the uniform of their country's military. To do otherwise is illegal. Any troops captured dressed as civilians is not guaranteed protections under the Geneva Convention. Which is why I don't understand the big deal with the detained terrorists at Gitmo. They are illegal combatants and aren't guaranteed the Geneva Convention anyway. But that is for another forum.
Suffice it to say that it is illegal for the U.S. to dress its soldiers like locals in order to get some tactical advantage from it.

Answer 3

There is something good about the question, but I have a feeling that we have already come
up with an idea like that. In other words, blend into the populace and then you might be able to find out where the insurgents are hiding out.

Answer 4

First as mentioned, GENEVA CONVENTION.

You get captured out of uniform and you are a SPY with NO GC protections and that is UGLY!

There is also the issue of "You shoot at a guy in US gear and you are going to have a "SH** STORM" rain down upon you.

I can also guarantee you that there a BUNCH of guys wandering around NOT in uniform collecting intel, setting lazer targets and other missions. They are SPECIFICALLY TRAINED for this duty and are well aware of the "downside" if captured.

As a note that is how we gained our origional freedom from the British. There was the Army in uniform and then the farmers sneeking around in the bushes kicking their "A**es.

J
USN 1964-

Answer 5

Against Law of Armed Conflict/ Geneva Convention to wear enemies uniforms..

Answer 6

yes it is against the Hague accords (law of land warfare)/ geneva confentions. if we did that then soldiers would be treated as spies. The american military uses the uniform they due because ACU's break up the sillhoute of the target at distance. plus if we dressed up as civilans were would we where our IBAs(interceptor body armor) go theyd be conspicous then theres the fact that your still rolling in military equipment IE humvees, Brads, strykers etc...

that plan would cause more death, confusion, and have so many more ramifications then if we gave them the fills on our comm equipment

Answer 7

Well then you also run the risk of non disguised american forces thinkng that htey are insurgents aslo. Then you have some form of unintentional fratricide.

Answer 8

Despite what people say we follow the laws of war. As for blue on blue, it is possible depending on location.

Answer 9

The only problem with this is that the US troops wouldn't know who to shoot. They would either shoot each other at random or kill no one at all because they're not sure who the enemy is.

Answer 10

where have you heard that US forces can only engage after being engaged. If faced with a threat, they are allowed equal force in return.