Red Cross Reeling In Flag Humanitarian Group Says Cross A Symbol Of Hate For West In Certain Regions

The Red Cross flag has protected mercy missions through two world wars and countless other conflicts, but it may have become a liability.

For the first time in more than 130 years, the humanitarian organization has decided not to fly its flag in situations where people view it with resentment as an emblem of the West.

“If combatants want to have a worldwide impact and they need a Western symbol to attack, we become a very easy, soft target,” Red Cross spokesman Tony Burgener said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is still overwhelmed by the massacre last month of six of its workers as they slept in their hospital quarters in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya. The killings were one incident in a pattern of growing violence against Red Cross and other humanitarian workers in conflict zones.

In an unprecedented move, the ICRC recalled all 55 heads of delegations from conflict zones around the globe for a three-day emergency meeting this week. The aim was a complete overhaul of security arrangements.

The red cross on a white background - reversing the Swiss national flag - has been used by the organization since it was founded in 1863 by a Swiss grain speculator, Henri Dunant.

“The Red Cross flag has served us well in general,” said Luc Deneys, a senior legal officer. But he said the emblem can provoke feelings of distrust, particularly among Muslims.

“Historically, the Christian crusaders used a Red Cross on their uniform, so in the Middle East it is not liked much. This is why Muslim countries tend to use a crescent instead of a cross,” he said.

But Burgener stressed that the world-famous symbol was still recognized and welcomed in many countries.

“The Red Cross flag has protected people from attack for many years,” he said. “It is only in certain extreme situations we have decided it would be better to be more discreet.”