For some years, the wearing of the keffiyeh has been almost ubiquitous amongst British soldiers, who exclusively refer to them as shemaghs. Their use by the British Army dates back at least to the Second World War when Special Air Service troops, amongst others, wore them while operating in the deserts of North Africa. After the war, their use by the Army continued with the keffiyeh being worn in both desert and temperate environments in theatres such as Dhofar. Since the beginning of the War on Terror, these keffiyeh, usually cotton and in olive drab or khaki with black stitching, have been adopted by US troops as well. Their practicality in an arid environment, as in Afghanistan and Iraq, explains their constant popularity with soldiers. Soldiers often wear the keffiyeh folded in half into a triangle and wrapped around the face, with the halfway point being placed over the mouth and nose, sometimes coupled with goggles, to keep sand out of the face.

Damn American soldiers in the war on terror, siding with the terrorists!