An American military armored vehicle displaying a cross and the word “Kafir,” Arabic for infidel, patrols near Hasakah, Syria, May 31, 2025. An investigation was launched into whether the writing on the vehicle violates Defense Department policy. (Laurent Perpigna Iban/Middle East Eye/used with permission)
A Defense Department investigation is underway into the appearance of an armored U.S. military vehicle in Syria that was inscribed with a cross and an Arabic word that can be considered offensive to Muslims.
The inquiry was launched after the digital news outlet Middle East Eye published the image last week showing the vehicle on patrol near the city of Hasakah, in the northeast part of the country. On the upper portion of the vehicle, the word “Kafir,” meaning “infidel,” is written in Arabic script next to a cross.
Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. military coalition leading efforts in Syria and Iraq, is aware of reports of “unapproved symbols or languages,” a task force spokesperson told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.
Officials have “initiated a formal inquiry and taken proactive measures to ensure that U.S. military equipment bears no markings that violate U.S. Department of Defense policy,” the spokesperson said.
The photo was taken in late May, according to Middle East Eye. It sparked criticism on social media from users who interpreted it as a show of defiance against Muslims.
Charles Lister, the director of the Middle East Institute’s Syria program, shared the photo on X and called it “idiotic.”
The word Kafir was originally applied to the populace of the Hindu Kush in northeastern Afghanistan before the region, formerly known as Kafiristan, was forcibly converted to Islam, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
The dictionary calls the word dated and adds that it is often considered offensive.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously received backlash for having the word tattooed on his arm.
The U.S. has maintained a constant military presence in Syria for more than a decade as part of its effort to defeat the Islamic State group. Last fall, the U.S. troop presence there reached a peak of more than 2,000.
The Defense Department is now pulling out troops from the country following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in December.
Pentagon officials plan to withdraw hundreds of service members and consolidate the U.S. bases in Syria in the coming months, eventually reducing the total force to fewer than 1,000 troops and one base.
