OFF THE WIRE
North County Times
This September 2010 photo that was posted on the Titiusville, Fla.- based arms manufacturer Knight's Armament's Internet blog, shows members of Charlie Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, out of Camp Pendleton in Sangin, Helmand province, Afghanistan. The Marine Corps confirmed Thursday Feb. 8, 2012 that one of its scout sniper teams in Afghanistan posed for a photograph in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS. knightarmco.com via AP
The head of the Marine Corps has ordered a further probe into the use of Nazi symbols by sniper or reconnaissance troops after officials confirmed a Camp Pendleton squad used such an image in a photograph that surfaced on the Internet.
Gen. James Amos also issued an apology Friday to "all offended by this regrettable incident."
"I have directed that my commanders investigate the prevalence of the use of SS or other unauthorized symbols within the reconnaissance or sniper communities," Amos said in a statement issued from his Pentagon office.
The action came after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Friday directed the Marine Corps to re-examine its initial investigation.
The Associated Press quoted Pentagon spokesman George Little saying Panetta wanted the Marine Corps to "take appropriate action."
In response, Amos said he has also ordered his top sergeant major to meet personally with every non-commissioned officer and enlisted Marine from those squads to make sure no such symbols are being used.
The four-star general's moves come after it was revealed this week that a Camp Pendleton sniper unit posed for photographs with a flag bearing a logo nearly identical to that of the notorious Nazi SS.
The photograph, taken in September 2010 in the Sangin district of Afghanistan's Helmand province, showed members of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion with an American flag and a blue flag with the SS logo.
"I want to be clear that the Marine Corps unequivocally does not condone the use of any such symbols to represent our units or Marines," Amos said.
Camp Pendleton officials said Thursday that the Marines who used the symbol were unaware of its connection or similarity to the one used by the notorious Nazi police force.
The photograph first came to light in November when it surfaced on an Internet blog.
Investigators who looked into the incident in November determined there was no malicious intent and the Marines in the image were not disciplined.
"(Investigators) determined that the Marines in the photo were ignorant of the connection of this symbol to the Holocaust and monumental atrocities associated with Nazi Germany," Amos said.
SS stands for "Schutzstaffel," which in German means "protective shield." A paramilitary group under Nazi control in Germany during World War II, the SS was responsible for an array of crimes against humanity.
The Marines in the photograph are no longer with the unit, according to Marine Corps officials.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation in Washington has expressed outrage at the photograph and demanded a broader investigation and disciplinary action.
The picture sparking the controversy first surfaced on a blog for a weapons firm in Florida. It has since been removed.
Read more: http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/military/military-marine-commandant-apologizes-orders-further-probe-of-ss-incident/article_7cd8d0ea-7f17-5e76-8e56-419b45b95a35.html#ixzz1m5ZPXHdTGen. James Amos also issued an apology Friday to "all offended by this regrettable incident."
"I have directed that my commanders investigate the prevalence of the use of SS or other unauthorized symbols within the reconnaissance or sniper communities," Amos said in a statement issued from his Pentagon office.
The action came after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Friday directed the Marine Corps to re-examine its initial investigation.
The Associated Press quoted Pentagon spokesman George Little saying Panetta wanted the Marine Corps to "take appropriate action."
In response, Amos said he has also ordered his top sergeant major to meet personally with every non-commissioned officer and enlisted Marine from those squads to make sure no such symbols are being used.
The four-star general's moves come after it was revealed this week that a Camp Pendleton sniper unit posed for photographs with a flag bearing a logo nearly identical to that of the notorious Nazi SS.
The photograph, taken in September 2010 in the Sangin district of Afghanistan's Helmand province, showed members of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion with an American flag and a blue flag with the SS logo.
"I want to be clear that the Marine Corps unequivocally does not condone the use of any such symbols to represent our units or Marines," Amos said.
Camp Pendleton officials said Thursday that the Marines who used the symbol were unaware of its connection or similarity to the one used by the notorious Nazi police force.
The photograph first came to light in November when it surfaced on an Internet blog.
Investigators who looked into the incident in November determined there was no malicious intent and the Marines in the image were not disciplined.
"(Investigators) determined that the Marines in the photo were ignorant of the connection of this symbol to the Holocaust and monumental atrocities associated with Nazi Germany," Amos said.
SS stands for "Schutzstaffel," which in German means "protective shield." A paramilitary group under Nazi control in Germany during World War II, the SS was responsible for an array of crimes against humanity.
The Marines in the photograph are no longer with the unit, according to Marine Corps officials.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation in Washington has expressed outrage at the photograph and demanded a broader investigation and disciplinary action.
The picture sparking the controversy first surfaced on a blog for a weapons firm in Florida. It has since been removed.
Call staff writer Mark Walker at 760-901-4080.
