Fighting by the book

The Times brings you the former German rules of engagement for Afghanistan (they have since been updated):

The seven-page pocket guide to combat tucked into the breast pocket of every German soldier offers such instructions as: 'Before opening fire you are expected to declare loudly, in English, ‘United Nations — stop, or I will fire,' followed by a version in Pashtu — 'Melgaero Mellatuna- Dreesch, ka ne se dasee kawum!'

The alert must also be issued in Dari, and the booklet, devised by a committee in some faraway ministerial office, adds: 'If the situation allows, the warning should be repeated.' The joke going round Nato mess tents poses the question: 'How can you identify a German soldier? He is the corpse clutching a pocket guide.'

Photo by Flickr user johnnyrafoss' photostream, used under a Creative Commons license.