British Servicemen Posing With Dead Taliban.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/mod-investigates-pictures-claiming-to-show-a-british-serviceman-posing-with-dead-taliban-fighters-9347699.html

Gruesome maybe, but this is an entirely different world to what most of us are accustomed to.

If you had see your comrades killed and mutilated, and your squad had finally dispatched one of the perpetrators, wouldn't you feel like giving the (result) thumbs up?

This is just one more instance of trying to turn those that have to do the dirty work on our behalf, into some kind of social workers. And those who send them out to do this work then can't wait to grab hold of a situation like this to try and prove to the rest of the world that "our troops don't behave in such a manner, and we take it very seriously if they do".

WHY?????????

[retrocop]

Oh you wonderful AB armchair warriors ready to leap down the throat of Tommy Atkins.Sit back and view the scenario from a wider picture.
At the time of the event an unknown number of enemy insurgents enter,through stealth,a large military complex containing men and material.The insurgents are wearing the uniforms of our allies(stolen American uniforms).Contrary to the Geneva convention.The bastion contains both UK and US troops as well as possibly personnel from other nations.After a prolonged firefight where much ordnance is discharged,damage and explosions reign with screams of the wounded etc etc.The engagement is finally finished(about 3hrs later).Now the mopping up and casualties and dead have to be attended.But who is who?The allies have been shooting at men wearing US military uniform who have been trying to them.What if the insurgents are playing possum?Lets find out if that apparent fallen soldier is indeed an insurgent in the guise of a US marine OR indeed a genuine US marine."Cover me chalkie while I check that body over.Ok Chalkie(Phew,a relieved smile and a thumbs up)He's one of theirs".
Any of you ABers been there,got the Tshirt?Any of you seen a Taliban cut the throat of a bound living person with a knife,decapitated the head and held it aloft as a trophy for all to see.Our soldiers don't do that.
Stop knocking our troops.They do a very difficult job that most of you armchair critics would shy away from.I sometimes wish all cameras especially the press and media were kept away from all conflicts.Some people in this country don't deserve the men and women of our armed forces.Give them a break.The Taliban who fight dirty, as all terrorists do, should count themselves lucky that they are up against honourable men and women who fight by the rules.

[ChillDoubt]

Storm in a teacup over something minor.

When our troops start burning Taliban bodeis and hanging them from the nearest bridge, then I'll be a tad concerned.


A former colleague of mine was once responsible for processing the photographs from the Loughgall SF counter attack. He was subsequently asked to print off several extra sets of copies for some very high ranking officers who wanted their own set of 'happy snaps'.

[bhg481]

Well said Retrocop.

[anotheoldgit]

Baldric posted the wrong link to my 10.28 post, this is the one that I sould have posted, showing that I then had almost the same sentiments to both stories.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1292102.html

[Baldric]

Haven't 'met' the Taliban, my action was in The Falklands as a Royal Marine.

[retrocop]

Thanks bhg.I don't often have a strop but armchair warriors pee me off.Shut it unless you know the facts and don't jump to conclusions unless you have hard evidence. Thats always been my thoughts.

[maggiebee]

My point exactly AOG, that is what he believes in. I personally abhor it.

[viv38]

retrocop 14:43 - BRILLIANT post.

[anotheoldgit]

Baldric

/// Brendan, agreed, this was the last paragraph of my 10:35 post which aog chose to ignore, maybe it was uncomfortable for him! ///

///Had the Taliban won that particular skirmish would the body of one of our Soldiers look as intact as the dead Taliban fighter appears to be, I wonder?///

I did not find it uncomfortable as your vivid imagination might think, I am just confused on which side of the argument you stand.

We should not castigate our soldiers for doing something much less serious than they would do to our troops.

Yes or no, make up your mind?

[ChillDoubt]

Exactly retrocop.

Those who pontificate and criticise are invariably the one's who could never summon the courage to even walk through a Recruiting Office doorway, but will gladly languish in the security and democracy provided ultimately by HM Forces.

[retrocop]

And I'm sure you and the men of the commando brigade fought honourably in that conflict also Baldric.Of course when an Argentine officer leaves cover and wishes to parley a surrender and then fires on British troops who break cover to accept the surrender then one should expect that he be mowed down unmercifully.Fact.

[andres]

Well said, retrocop! I was thinking along similar lines. Far easier and quieter to just put a thumb up to say the person is dead rather than shouting it out loud .

[humbersloop]

Chill, were the Hughes brothers included in the "happy snaps"?

[anotheoldgit]

retrocop

Very well done, an excellent post, and glad to see some are now coming out to support your feelings, makes a change from all the 'soldier bashing' and 'AOG bashing'.

Pity some more could not have equally agreed with my opening comment

"Gruesome maybe, but this is an entirely different world to what most of us are accustomed to".

[viv38]

I agree with you AOG and I know whose side I'm on (the soldier's).

[stewey]

Slightly off topic; however, even General Sherman, who once claimed that war is hell, had thoughts about the enemy dead: "I confess, without shame, that I am sick and tired of fighting — its glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families, appealing to me for sons, husbands, and fathers.".

[Baldric]

Aog, as an Ex RM, there is only one side I am on, and that is our Armed Forces side, if there is any confusion it exists only in your head!

[bhg481]

There are some situations in life where I feel that you are not qualified to comment unless you've been there; this is one of them. Anyone is entitled to comment, that's what free speech is all about but, to my mind, the comments carry no weight if you've never been in that situation. For that reason, whilst the soldiers' actions may have been undesirable, I don't feel qualified to criticise them for it.

[ChillDoubt]

No they weren't sloopy, well certainly not Oliver, who survived.
The SAS, 14 Int and E4A did their best that night, it was unfortunate the brothers were dressed the same as the other 8.

[anotheoldgit]

Thank you Viv