What a bunch of idiots...

[raebhoop]

Haig in parliament yesterday making excuses for the disastrous SAS mission in Libya.
What a cock up...Even the Conservatives laughed out loud when Haig called it a Diplomatic mission. Diplomats with automatic weapons and explosives...yeah right!
No wonder the rebels arrested them when the chopper landed.

The funniest comment came from a correspondent in Libya who said..."Why the dramatic entrance?...If they'd just landed by inflatable from our warship offshore,they could have just strolled into town on foot."

Diplomats! They must think we're all as thick as they are.And these people are running the country on our behalf...God help us.

 

[Nige F]

Funniest thing is that Haig looks like The Mekon - in the Dan Dare comics

 

[JohnD]

I don't suppose we'll know the truth for 50 years or so

However:
The point about risky operations is that some of them will go wrong. If you take a calculated risk and reckon you have a 90% chance of success, you have to accept that you therefore have a 10% chance of failure. No use moaning afterwards when one of that 10% occurs.

 

[Whitespirit66]

Its not just because the Tories are in charge that our standing and reputation abroad is falling all the time. It's been going on longer than that. Its also infected our armed forces, who were once the envy of the world, and trained many other countries' forces.

The recent farce of these dimplomats-come-special forces blundering in and being captured by farmhands doesn't necessarily reflect on the men on the ground themselves. More likely it is their commanders who are answerable to Westminster who are ultimately responsible.

Two other recent cases come to mind; firstly the humiliating capture of a R. Navy patrol boat by Iraniani forces during the Gulf war, and the couple who were captured on their yacht by Somali pirates whilst the R. N. looked on.

Too often it seems that there is a news crew in the background, and our forces spend too much time under the spotlight. This means they have to tread lightly and also worry that some human rights lawyer is going to sue them if something goes wrong.

Same thing in Afghanistan. Troops seem to have to pu$$y-foot around. They just need to go in and sort it out. Civilian casualties are regrettable, but they will be there for ever if they are fighting at close quarters from street to street, house to house. They will never be able to do what's needed, because a news crew will be there to instantly beam pictures of the aftermath around the world.

 

[JohnD]

...Same thing in Afghanistan. Troops seem to have to pu$$y-foot around. They just need to go in and sort it out. Civilian casualties are regrettable, but they will be there for ever if they are fighting at close quarters from street to street, house to house. They will never be able to do what's needed, because a news crew will be there to instantly beam pictures of the aftermath around the world.

I'm not convinced that you can make people peaceful and contented by killing people accidentally, carelessly or delberately. It's been done many times, for example at Mai Lai and Oradour-sur-Glane, and didn't work.

If foreign soldiers killed your father/son/brother/uncle/mother/sister, would you (a) become peaceful or (b) try to avenge them?

 

[raebhoop]

I don't suppose we'll know the truth for 50 years or so

However:
The point about risky operations is that some of them will go wrong. If you take a calculated risk and reckon you have a 90% chance of success, you have to accept that you therefore have a 10% chance of failure. No use moaning afterwards when one of that 10% occurs.

What risk?...They were supposed to be helping the rebels cause...and landed amongst their so called Allies.
Unfortunately nobody told the rebels so I suppose that's where the risk comes in,when some Colonel Blimp public school boy organises the operation instead somebody with a brain.
Like the local correspondent said...Why all the drama? Probably because some twit at the top thought that good old Blighty could show the rest of the world how special forces are supposed to behave.

 

[JohnD]

What risk?...They were supposed to be helping the rebels cause...and landed amongst their so called Allies.

What makes you think you know what they were really up to? Do you believe a politician? Or a journalist?

Might have been a shady deal about oil, might have been trying to stitch up some friends on more than one side to be ready for whoever ends up on top, might have been trying to sell or repossess arms or currency or gold, might have been bartering for hostages. Who knows? Even trying to have secret talks with bunch of gun-happy revolutionaries can be risky.

 

[Deluks]

Hearts and minds. And sense of humour.

 

[Mickymoody]

As it's been released, then anti-propoganda...otherwise the news would be subdued. Conspiricy would ensue.

 

[raebhoop]

To avoid further criticism I hear the number 10 cat has now been put in charge of further operations.