What's behind this pic?

[Susurrus]

What is the background with this pic?

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/gallery/090630/GAL-09Jun30-2242/media/PHO-09Jun30-167769.jpg

The description of it says that's an Iraqi soldier in Baghdad. What's with the red armband on him, is it political? Also does anyone know the communist situation in Iraq? How has the occupation affected it?

[Bostana]

It looks political. You can kind of see an Arabic letter on the strap. So it could be political.

[Red Future]

Where did you find this ..I am confused :confused:

[Susurrus]

Where did you find this ..I am confused :confused:

Huffington Post, it was randomly in a photo gallery of the US withdrawing from Baghdad, so probably something to do with that.

[Red Future]

They could be supporters of this party
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Communist_Party

[Dzerzhinsky's Ghost]

I can't really make out what that shit says on his arm, I can't comment on the Communist movement as I am not there however I still do not fucking understand my people's inherent love for and obssession with all things sweet and candies.

[Rafiq]

The flag in the background has a hammer and sickle so obviously its a communist

[Susurrus]

The flag in the background has a hammer and sickle so obviously its a communist

That's why I was asking why a communist supporter is giving candy to an iraqi soldier who may or may not be a communist too.

[Rusty Shackleford]

thats a great picture.

[Islamosocialist]

The Arab countries generally have very well-established but small communist parties. And they're still religious.

And the membership is often more historical than political.

For example, many members of Arab communist parties come from families who trace their heritage back to the Balkans, especially Bosnia.

During the Ottoman Empire, Bosnia and Albania were the two places with lots of white, beautiful Muslim woman. Every man who had a coin to his name in Arabia took as many as he could carry. To this day, variations of the surname Bosnik (which is the ethnic term for Bosnian Muslim) exist in many Arab countries. In Haifa, in Israel, for example, Bosnak is surname of one of the most prominent Palestinian families.

And in some, for example, among Palestinians, Bosnak is also used as a slang term to refer to someone who is especially tall, pale, and beautiful.

Every single Arab I have met who said, "Oh, my family is from there!" when I mentioned my heritage was a communist. It's like some sort of... protection of individuality. Very strange.

It's kind of like how minorities in America are likely to be Democrats, even if they want some sort of theocracy.

Be careful to read too much into this picture, except to see it's richer than Fox News would have you think and there are people everywhere you could sit and discuss politics with and have a lot in common. :) Because you would with these people.

[Le Rouge]

That's why I was asking why a communist supporter is giving candy to an iraqi soldier who may or may not be a communist too.

Who's not a communist in this world?

[ВАЛТЕР]

What is the background with this pic?

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/gallery/090630/GAL-09Jun30-2242/media/PHO-09Jun30-167769.jpg

The description of it says that's an Iraqi soldier in Baghdad. What's with the red armband on him, is it political? Also does anyone know the communist situation in Iraq? How has the occupation affected it?

The soldier appears to be wearing some form of a red and gold armband maybe implying he is a communist. Maybe he is a member of a communist militia, but as to why the occupiers would allow such a group to exist is strange to me.

[Rusty Shackleford]

im thinking he might just be an MP or something. the arm band might not even be political but hierarchical?

[Susurrus]

Here's another pic that may or may not be of the same guy, a red armband is visible:
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/gallery/090630/GAL-09Jun30-2242/media/PHO-09Jun30-167770.jpg

Here's another pic of the comrades, it appears candy distribution is definitely not limited to communists:

http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/ss-090630-iraq-handover/ss-090630-iraq-handover-07.grid-9x2.jpg

[Red Commissar]

This picture was from June 30th, 2009- which was when the Americans had officially "withdrawn" from Iraq. A lot of political groups in the country took to the streets to celebrate and they would usually approach Iraqi police and soldiers to show their "appreciation" for protecting the country or something patriotic like that.

As for the picture itself- I'm not sure if the armband represents anything special, at least politically. It looks like the Arabic numeral for "4" (٤), so it might be representing his division or whatever.

Here's the same pictures from a gallery in the Guardian from June 30th when the US officially "withdrew" from Iraq. The pictures in question come at 17 and 19.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/jun/30/iraq-usa?INTCMP=SRCH

The other pictures Sus posted are also in there. On the caption for the original picture it says "Soldiers celebrate following a parade to mark the withdrawal of US troops during the withdrawal of US troops in Baghdad". The one from before that says "Members of the Communist Party distribute sweets to Iraqi security forces".

[Lenina Rosenweg]

As I understand the main Iraqi Communist Party supports the US occupation, so they may be giving candy or sweets to government troops.My guess the soldier in the first photo at least is an MP.

[Rusty Shackleford]

the ICP (har har har) opposed the invasion, but, they didnt take to the streets and all that.

i think their politics may have shifted right over the years.

[Rafiq]

That's why I was asking why a communist supporter is giving candy to an iraqi soldier who may or may not be a communist too.

The Iraqi communist party has seats in Government, so they're reformists. That's why...

[Rafiq]

the ICP (har har har) opposed the invasion, but, they didnt take to the streets and all that.

i think their politics may have shifted right over the years.

Maybe similar to that of the Lebanese Communist Party, whom are now supporters and sympathizers with Islamist reactionaries.

[Rusty Shackleford]

The ICP fucked itself up in the 50s from what i hear. maybe a change in leadership will change them though.

[Wanted Man]

There is no doubt that their position is wrong, but it undoubtedly also has to do with the fate that they suffered under Saddam. In the situation now (and I'm fairly sure they're not part of the government BTW, but whatever), at least they can openly organise without getting tortured to death. It doesn't make their position right, but it does make it understandable. If there were any sizeable progressive elements in Libya, they would probably also work in the new situation instead of rallying to Gadhafi or whatever.

But never mind that, I'm sure they should have run off to the countryside and started a People's War or something.

[The Douche]

Pretty sure that dude is not in any sort of communist military formation. When I was in Iraq is was common and legal for various organizations to form militias or "neighborhood watch" groups to defend their communities. Some of these were more or less insurgent groups, others were very loyal to occupation forces. Eventually the government/military paid off all of them, and made them official.

I don't think there were ever any that were affiliated with the communist or trade union movements in Iraq, though there could be some in heavily Kurdish areas, because they were mainly regional/neighborhood institutions.

There was a communist organization or two in Iraq who actively resisted the occupation, so I am pretty sure its not one of them, and there were a few in Iraqi Kurdistan, I even met a Kurdish-Iraqi christian who was a combatant for one of the communist/socialist organizations.



Anywho, those guys are no, probably not communist militants.