On Friday the Pentagon released a new policy that would ban the display of the Confederate battle flag without explicitly mentioning it.
Officials said the new policy specifies which types of flags are allowed, a list that does not include the Confederate flag, thereby effectively banning it.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper noted in a memo laying out the new policy, “We must always remain focused on what unifies us, our sworn oath to the Constitution and our shared duty to defend the nation. The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols.”
Observers say the policy attempts to walk a fine line between removing a symbol that stokes racial tensions and not drawing the ire of President Trump, who has defended the display of the Confederate flag as a free speech issue.
More: TheHill.com