US troops making a hasty retreat from northern Syria left behind a colorful assortment of literature and patriotic paraphernalia, ranging from Harry Potter books to provocative flags.
Photos from the abandoned US military base in Manbij shed light on what American soldiers did to pass the time during their uninvited stay.
The photographic evidence suggests that at least one soldier enjoyed reading Harry Potter. For added diversity, the discarded literature also included a Tom Clancy paperback and a Bible.
Pax Americana at abandoned Manbij base: Literature edition.
For reading-adverse troops, there were also plenty of video games. At least one devoted soldier-gamer had even brought along a map of the fictional city from Grand Theft Auto.
There were also stacks of DVDs and, in a display of true American-ness, a fridge full of Coca-Cola. Scavengers also found basketballs and footballs at the site.
Gamers RISE UP at abandoned American base in Manbij:
-Rainbow Six Siege -Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (featuring: UNO) -A map of Los Santos, fictional city setting of GTA: San Andreas pic.twitter.com/6wOVCxRE9o
While rushing out the door, the soldiers also apparently forgot to bring their ‘come and take it’ flag, so Russian media came and took pictures with it. Originating from the ancient Greek term ‘molon labe,’ the flag is a symbol of US military defiance, and, in this case, of stinging irony.
Russian Journalist with US molon labe flag at abandoned American base in Syria pic.twitter.com/QMvgkRQJh4
They also left behind a rather indecorous greeting to Russia, perhaps to offset the bitterness for the abandoned flag.
The troops pulled out of the base, located southwest of the northern city of Manbij, last Tuesday. The retreat followed the decision by the US President Donald Trump to withdraw American personnel prior to the Turkish operation against Kurdish-led militias. US forces have since crossed into western Iraq, where they may or may not finish reading all the Harry Potter books.
