Pokémon Go is a phone app that allows you to catch Pokémon on your smartphone. It’s being played everywhere from the US to the Israeli parliament the Knesset as people worldwide scramble to capture the digital fighting creatures of Japanese origins-made popular by Nintendo GameBoy games, T.V. shows and other media since the 1990s.
Last week, a young American named Louis posted a picture of a squirtle (a blue squirrel-turtle hybrid Pokémon that shoots water in battle) he found while playing Pokémon Go on Facebook. But Louis isn’t just your average twenty-something playing Pokémon at home, outside or in the office. The ex-US Marine and Afghanistan war veteran is a volunteer in Dwekh Nawsha, a Christian paramilitary group allied with the peshmerga (military or Iraqi Kurdistan). He serves on a frontline north of Mosul fighting Daesh (ISIS)-AK in hand-trying to chase the militant group out of Iraq.
The picture he posted of the Pokémon above his massive turret facing Daesh’s position was meant to amuse his Facebook friends. But it soon went viral, appearing in The New York Post, The Independent and a plethora of other publications.
And why wouldn’t it? Everyone and their mother has been posting pictures of the Pokémon they’re finding. And Louis’s Pokémon was found on a frontline with Daesh, of all places. Now, the man behind the famous pic is speaking out critically about the attention it received to Al Bawaba.
“(The articles) started making things here look like a joke. I'm not here for that kind of attention. This is serious. It was just to show I'm still regular old me,” Louis, who prefers to not use his last name for security reasons, told Al Bawaba. A fan of the game, he merely intended to entertain his friends with the fun image.
For Louis, currently on his second volunteer stint in Iraq, the coverage the pic received overlooks real issues in the region. “Pop culture may be a good outreach, but the focus should be on the world wide conflict against ISIL,” he said, using an alternative term for Daesh.
Louis believes the peshmerga in particular require more weaponry if they are to defeat Daesh in greater Mosul, as opposed to more Pokémon coverage. “More ammo and weapons are needed on the front here as ISIL becomes more desperate. In a recent skirmish, I and another volunteer got knocked off our feet by a mortar but somehow were saved, though my helmet took a hit. We were out ranged and out gunned and only air support truly helped,” said Louis.
The peshmerga has sought more military aid since Daesh swept through northern Iraq in 2014.
Louis was further upset that several of the publications apparently did not contact him before publishing the photo. It’s common practice for news organizations to post images from social media, as Twitter, Instagram and public Facebook pages are considered public domain.
But Louis’s case raises important questions about privacy nonetheless. Is a picture from someone’s personal Facebook account fair game for media? A personal Facebook account is not necessarily intended for the public; it’s for one’s friends.
“It’s gotten out of hand and people didn't take into account my safety. They didn't bother to blur my name or location. The post was just for my friends and followers,” he added. On the point of the poster’s security, there’s less debate. He’s since increased privacy settings on his Facebook.
Some publications did reach out to the young soldier, including The Verge and, of course, Al Bawaba.
In the meantime, Louis goes back to his life on the frontlines. And as the Iraqi army, the peshmerga, and its allies like Dwekh Nawsha progress slowly in the battle for greater Mosul and the Nineveh province, Louis’s days aren’t always action-packed. “Day to day is just mortars, dushka (a heavy machine gun), or nothing...but we had an attack we repelled on July 2,” he said.
Local media reported on US and coalition airstrikes against Daesh targets on July 2.
And, yes, he still plays Pokemon Go.
Adam Lucente
