Marines posed in front of flag with logo resembling Nazi SS symbol

The Marine Corps confirmed on Thursday that one of its scout sniper teams posed in front of a flag with a logo resembling the notorious Nazi SS symbol in Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported.

Lt. Col. Stewart Upton said in a statement that use of the symbol is not acceptable, and said the issue has been addressed but did not specify what action was taken.

The picture, posted on an internet blog, was taken in September 2010 in the Sangin province, said the BBC, and the Marines in the picture are no longer with the unit. “The inspector general found there was no intent on the part of the Marines to identify themselves with the SS,” according to the BBC.

The symbol was mean to identify the team as scout snipers. Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Gregory Wolf told the BBC, “Certainly, the use of the 'SS runes' is not acceptable and Scout Snipers have been addressed concerning this issue.”

The SS, or Schultzstaffel, was the police and military wing of the Nazi party, and members were held responsible for war crimes during World War II.

Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation in Washington called for a full investigation into the matter, calling it an outrage, according to the AP.

The New York Daily News posted the photo in question. As can be seen from the picture, the flag in question was juxtaposed with an American flag.

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