What do American soldiers call the people in Iraq?

Question

I'm writing a short story for a literary journal. One of the story's characters is a gulf war veteran.  I want to know the disparaging or racist names that soldiers use for the local civilians, e.g. "Hagi, LBG, etc." What do they call bad guys?  I want jargon, soldier talk. thanks to all. 

p.s. I apologize in advance to anyone who may take offense at some of the responses. I'm just looking for realism and truth for an accurate characterization of attitudes and hostilities towards people of the reagion.

vbplr_12 · Accepted Answer

Haji, durka...those are the only two we ever used.  If we were feeling particularly PC we called them "TCNs" --third country nationals when talking about the Turks and others who helped out on the FOB...Iraqis were "LNs" Local nationals....

Nat · Answer

If you're talking about a Gulf War vet, they didn't have all that much contact with the local nationals at all. They went out, waited for months and months in the Kuwaiti desert, moved out, whipped the Iraqi Army out of Iraq and halfway across Iraq in 100 hours, and then went home. They didn't do the occupying and scuttlebutt that we're doing now.

I can ask some of the two-time CIB winners in my vicinity to be absolutely sure, but I don't believe there's anything in more frequent use than "Hajji", back then or now. A lot more is said about clothing and fondness for farm animals than about skin color when meaning to be insulting, but "Hajji" alone is enough of a perjorative when meant as such to render all the other ones just too much to bother rolling out with the tongue.

I'll have an answer for you on Monday when work recommences, if you like. Good luck with the story.

sweet_kristinabakersfield · Answer

I just called them Iraqis...thats what they are aren't they?  Just like in America we are Americans?  Not all of the "local civilians"  are what we think of as disparaging or racist...

I have heard people call them "Hadjis"

quasar · Answer

here is an extract from a British soldier,
we saw a young Afghan trying to ride a motorbike, it was quite funny watching 3 of them sat on riding about,

here is another ,
19 people were killed, the ambulances &cleanup operation by the afgans was amazing,

ICE-T · Answer

maybe Mr. Bush the Homo or Conndy the Ni-gg-*-r Bi**h invent new names for the the innocent civilians

powerofconviction · Answer

I called them Hadjii's
I've heard Towel Heads
Sand N-i-gg-ers
Camel Fu@*ers
I just called them Hadjii's

Crystal · Answer

hey ... well my boyfriend was in iraq last year and well he when back this past mth.. never talk about it much but he did say they call them haji's.....

Anonymous · Answer

I've read that they call American soldiers, "the Jews".

din// · Answer

They call them animals/gooks/VCs/etc

? · Answer

Rag heads, sand *******

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What do American soldiers call the people in Iraq?

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