Disgusted...........

tut · Post by **tut** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 4:07 pm

Started off writing a long speel on how I felt about the 15 Royal Marines and Navy personel being given permission from the MOD to sell their stories to the media. The female L/S has already landed a £100,000 contract.

However I will vent my speel to Air Chief Marshall Sir Jock Stirrup, an old friend from Oman, who is now Chief of Defence Staff, and head of the Armed Forces.

There is a regulation whereby a VC Medal recipient can do this, but this lot, and one of them was a Royal Marine Captain, made me feel uncomfortable with their statements and behaviour with their captors.

I withheld judgement until I heard their TV statements on returning home, and I would have been the first to agree that I was in the wrong if somebody was coming at my nuts with a knife, but this was not the case. At times it looked like Celebrity Big Brother.

I know hardly any of you have served in the Armed Forces, so it is not an issue, but it is going to have bad consequences.

tut

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:17 pm

I have no armed forces experience and never had any inclination to have any. I am grateful that there are folk who serve in that manner and would not want to be critical of anyones actions or even suggest what I would/wouldn't have done in any similar situation. However my main thought was that I had expected the whole thing to be handled differently.

thinfourth · Post by **thinfourth** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:27 pm

We are going to war with Iran it is not an maybe it is a fact.

They need us to hate iran and support a war with them. Them selling their stories into the media will fuel the war we are heading towards.

Lets be 100% honest blair and bush are unhappy to have them back

skellyjohn · Post by **skellyjohn** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 6:26 pm

I've never been in the armed forces but I was in the Boys Brigade and I've watched Bad Lads Army a few times.

From what I've saw on tv and heard from them, it didn't sound like they had it TOO bad.

Am I right in saying that they had been inspecting a cargo ship carrying cars from Japan to Iraq to check the tax had been paid on them?

The whole thing reminds me a bit of the Belgrano sinking in the Falklands.

Skyenet · Post by **Skyenet** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:26 pm

skellyjohn wrote: The whole thing reminds me a bit of the Belgrano sinking in the Falklands.

though I wouldn't have got away with selling my "Maggie on the periscope photo" to the papers in those days

Some good points raised be everyone. You never now what is behind actions these days

Mr Momo · Post by **Mr Momo** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 9:06 pm

Went to see a play by the National Theatre of Scotland last night called 'Black Watch'.

Bl**dy amazing, very intense and made me feel that all the decisions about Iraq were wrong (the intent of the play no doubt).

PhilA · Post by **PhilA** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 10:46 pm

thinfourth wrote:We are going to war with Iran it is not an maybe it is a fact.

They need us to hate iran and support a war with them. Them selling their stories into the media will fuel the war we are heading towards.

Lets be 100% honest blair and bush are unhappy to have them back

exactly.

we see it in dictator states where the media is used to influence the population. when i see that i wonder how the feck the population would agree with the rubbish ive read.
and now its happening here!

"why dont we lets these guys and girl make some money on this."
"good idea old chap, they should capitalise and get some well earnt"
no way that conversation was held!

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 11:02 pm

Whether it be right or wrong, I dont actually think there is any regulation that stops them from selling their story. At the end of the day, half of them are not long out of school, put yourself in their situation at that age, if you were aproached and offerd £100k for your story, hand on heart what would you do.
tut, I know you would expext better from officers, however I've met very few young officers that have scruples anymore.

Dave

Scotty C · Post by **Scotty C** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:50 am

Sorry in advance

15 marines captured for straying into Iranian waters.
14 men
1 woman
Doesn't take a genius to work out who was reading the map?

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:27 am

Scotty C wrote:Sorry in advance

15 marines captured for straying into Iranian waters.
14 men
1 woman
Doesn't take a genius to work out who was reading the map?

Skyenet · Post by **Skyenet** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:28 am

Scotty C wrote: Doesn't take a genius to work out who was reading the map?

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:53 am

When they were held in Iran, and being shown on Iranian TV, it came across they were being treated well and thatâ€™s what the Iranians wanted their public and the outside world to see.

â€œThey violated our borders and look how good we are treating themâ€

elise1970 · Post by **elise1970** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:15 am

A-hem!!!

I am the map reader in my household!!

Other half is admittedly useless at map reading!!!

tut · Post by **tut** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:15 am

Slightly inaccurate but funny............

8 Royal Marines, 7 sailors.

tut

tuscan_thunder · Post by **tuscan_thunder** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:23 am

I agree with the comments about this being, possibly, a piece of propaganda.

However, I would not object quite so much to the stories being sold had they been sold at full price to newspapers and then all the proceeds handed over to support for the families of those who have fallen in Iraq, Afghanistan etc.

Somehow, to me, that would take the sting out of it a little and at least show a bit more diginity.