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Comment by swalling | Hacker News Reader

Gestures might seem trivial but depending on context cultural miscommunication here can have deadly results.

For example, the Middle Eastern hand gesture for "stop" is totally different than American hand signals. The confusion probably caused at least a few of the hundreds of Iraqi civilians shot at traffic checkpoints by US soldiers. https://savageminds.org/2008/09/28/how-not-to-signal-stop/

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That is horrible if true (I find it hard to believe that US military personnel is trained to use "tactical" hand signals when trying to communicate with the general public).

However, it says that the policy is to first hand signal, then fire warning shots, and then they are authorized to use deadly force.

So, if these killings are because people don't understand hand gestures, and assuming policy is followed, they also don't understand warning shots, which seems like a stretch.

When hearing gunshots from the occupying soldiers, many people would just run away.

> hard to believe that US military personnel is trained to use "tactical" hand signals

This (closed fist) is not the signal in question. Discussed a bit later in the article is the very common (in western culture) raised palm signal, which apparently means "welcome" to an Iraqi.

Yes precisely. The common hand gesture for "stop" is different in the Middle East, it has nothing to do with use of military-specific gestures.

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