Defence chief opts to keep Kurdish flag on Canadian uniforms in Iraq
OTTAWA — Canada’s top soldier has decided special forces troops in Iraq will continue to wear the Kurdish flag on their uniforms in addition to the Maple Leaf, despite questions about the practice.
National Defence says Gen. Jonathan Vance recently approved the flag patches in part to show solidarity with “a region facing existential threats,” but that they should not be construed as support for an independent Iraqi Kurdistan.
That may be wishful thinking, say experts, one of whom compared it to a foreign military force wearing the Quebec flag in Canada.
The Kurds’ distinctive red, white and green flag with a sun emblem has been on the Canadian soldiers’ uniforms since they arrived in northern Iraq to help the Kurdish peshmerga fight ISIL in 2014.