US soldiers patrolling the streets of Baghdad near the ICRC delegation in 2003 – The proliferation of military operations characterized as "humanitarian" has led to growing confusion among weapons-bearers and civilians concerning the true intentions of foreign armed forces and relief organization present on their soil. This confusion has been further heightened by the fact that armed forces sometimes run “humanitarian” programmes in order to gain the sympathy of the population. The ICRC refuses all armed guards and escorts and it makes ongoing efforts to explain the neutral and impartial nature of its activities. But the protective power of the emblems seems to be on the wane. The attack perpetrated against the ICRC delegation in Baghdad in November 2003 and subsequent deliberate attacks against its personnel have forced the organization to considerably cut back on its programmes in Iraq.