Spanish troops in Iraq to wear Christian badge [View All]

Spanish troops in Iraq to wear Christian badge
By Vicky Short
12 August 2003

On first hearing that the new contingent of Spanish troops being sent to Iraq are wearing the Cruz de Santiago de Compostela (Cross of St. James of Compostela) on their arm badge, one could be forgiven for thinking the authorities in Spain had lost their minds. On reflection, however, and in the context of the prevailing world political atmosphere, more sinister conclusions can be drawn from this action.

The triangular top and arrow-like arms of the cross have become a symbol of the liquidation of the Muslims who were finally driven out of Spain after 800 years of fighting by the reconquest in 1492. This was also the start of the period of colonialist expansion by Spain’s Catholic monarchy.

During the battle of Clavijo, the legend goes, the Apostle St. James appeared in the sky on a white horse brandishing a sword with which he killed every Muslim in his path. St. James became the symbol of the fight for the reconquest of Spain and has since been known as “Santiago Matamoros” (St. James the Moor killer). Described in the Scripture as one of the “sons of thunder,” the Apostle is credited with converting the Iberian peninsula to Christianity.

The soldiers are the first batch of 1,300 combat troops that the Spanish government is sending to Iraq to join the international occupation force patrolling the Al Qadisija and An Najaf areas, whose population is overwhelmingly Shiite. They are joining a force of 900 Spanish soldiers already in Iraq and which, due to anti-war feeling in Spain, were supposedly sent strictly for humanitarian purposes. The 2,000-strong brigade of which they will form part, made up of Spanish and Latin American soldiers, will wear the cross on the arm of their uniforms.

--snip--

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/aug2003/spai-a12.shtml

In the same spirit, if the Germans send a "peacekeeping" contigent to I/P, can they put swastikas on them?