Stirring Speeches from R Irish COs

I see from teh SUN today ( I only read it to remain
in touch with the Boys interests) that the CO of a well known British Bn recently engaged in Operations has been pilloried for his forthright treatment of the enemy.  This epitomises the tawdry and rather grubby objectives of the media who appear to have absolutely no interest in the truth, and are self serving and vehicles for the aggrandisement of the reporters and hacks. Parasites, I occasionally have the unrelenting desire to stab every single one of them in the eye with a Sykes Fairbarn fighting knife, report that you low life scum. Hah.

 

Headline story from the BBC:

MoD investigates Gulf commander




The Ministry of Defence is investigating the conduct of a British commander during the war in Iraq.
Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins won praise during the conflict, particularly for a rousing speech he made to his Royal Irish Regiment troops on the eve of the fighting.

The allegations include pistol-whipping an Iraqi civil leader and punching, kicking and threatening captured Iraqi soldiers.

The Northern Ireland-born commander is reported to have strenuously denied any wrong-doing.

BBC Correspondent Andrew Gilligan said: "It appears that somebody has complained about him and the Ministry of Defence has begun an investigation into whether he breached the Geneva Convention on the rules of war.

"It is investigating whether he was over-aggressive with prisoners, whether he assaulted a civilian leader - he is accused of pistol-whipping one civic leader.

"He is accused of shooting out the tyres of a vehicle when there was no threat to him and is accused of firing near the feet of Iraqi civilians to intimidate them."

An MoD spokesman said: "We can confirm an investigation is being conducted into allegations surrounding a British officer who served in Iraq.

"We cannot comment further because of the risk of compromising the investigation."

Prince Charles described Colonel Collins's address to his troops on the eve of the Iraq war as "stirring, civilised and humane".

The prince was writing in a deeply personal letter to the commander, who he said impressed many people with his heartfelt speech to the troops.

Colonel Collins told his men in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment: "If you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory."

Prince Charles commended him on displaying "the highest traditions of military leadership".

Southern Iraq

Earlier this month, troops from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) were the first infantry unit to return to the UK from active service.

The 150 soldiers were greeted by friends and family at their headquarters in Canterbury.

During the campaign, Lieutenant Colonel Collins said a revenge attack on his troops had been planned by members of Saddam Hussein's ruling party in southern Iraq.

He said members of the Baath Party had sanctioned the execution of one or more men belonging to the Royal Irish Regiment as reprisal for its invasion of the area.

The Royal Irish soldiers took control of a vast area of southern Iraq, stretching across 4,500 square kilometres.

They patrolled and secured the zone and were specially trained to clear areas that were booby-trapped, mined and a danger to the local population.

They also seized major stocks of weapons and ammunition.

Most were taken from the battlefield, but some were physically taken from Iraqi soldiers and Bedouin tribesmen.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3045821.stm

 

Backstabbers one and all, the lot of them.

They would'nt know the truth if it hit them between the  eyes

 

If you learn one thing from this kids...

Never trust anything the media says.

Innocent until proven guilty unless you've had trial by media.

Ok that's the cliches out of the way.

All things said I was moved by Col. Tim's speech however some of the lads I know who got deployed with 1 RIR didn't think much of it.

Considering the pressures of pacifying elements of a local population who were either supporting Saddam or wanting to conduct revenge attacks on his supporters and the job the Royal Irish did in making it a better place for the Iraqi people to live, I think Col. Tim should be comended and not pilloried.

Instead already the media vultures are circling.  

War is a nasty business (apparantly...never been myself but not through lack of trying) and nasty things happen. Yes, we are governed by the Laws of Armed Conflict such as the Geneva Convention and our adherence to it sets us apart from the less-civilised nations. I'm sure there are mitigating circumstances where the rules need to be bent or broken in order to save people's lives or protect property. The rights of the many far outweigh the rights of the few.

On another note shouldn't the media be sticking up for him considering they followed him everywhere during the war and were always singing his praises?

Always treat the media like the enemy (pity you can't lock them up in PW cages!) and keep them close so that if you go down they go down with you.

At the end of the day there's probably countless American soldiers and officers who did far worse things (there always is) and is the media naming and shaming them? The US press probably dares not name them in case the US public plays the "don't insult our patriotic servicemen/women" card and stops buying their newspapers in protest.

Whereas in the UK we regularly let the press destroy peoples lives and reputations whether they be celebrities, polititians or ordinary people...

Don't get me wrong...I'm not a fan of sweeping wrong-doing under the carpet if it happens but I think the media should let investigations take place before slinging mud on a good soldier's name and let due process take it's course.

I'm not saying we should stop watching the news or buying papers but just be more discerning in what you believe when the media tells you something.

Rant over.

 

Exactly who has made these allegations?

 

Exactly.

The media are quick to point out who the allegations have been made against and there's no mention of who made them. Was the Iraqi civilians? The media? The French? (let's blame them...)

Case in point for letting the facts being established by an investigation before reporting on it.

If they want to look even-handed they could at least tell both sides of the story.

 

According to BBC news website, he was reported by an American Officer (Sorry don't know how to put up link yet).

Seems a bit rich if its true it came from a yank

 

http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=32470&pt=n

 

Righty-O.

An American apparantly. God help him if it's true an american has made these allegations. The perennial baby killers themselves accusing a British officer of war crimes? How does that work? Probably got his nose put out of joint by Col. Tim.

If the Americans who did anything like shoot at civilians feet or slap them around a bit were investigated the generation that fought in Vietnam should be carted off to prison.

At least my point before about the media standing up for someone for a change has actually come true...(from the BBC Northern Ireland article)

At last a journalist with a modicum of integrity!

I know it might sound like I'm asking everyone to circle the wagons to protect a war hero but for someone to preach to his men the high value he was placing on them to maintain the highest standards of discipline and treat their enemies fairly; to turn around beat civilians and tormet PWs? Double standards? Sounds more like a smear campaign as the American officer didn't get his inspirational speech pinned to the Oval Office wall.

Makes me angry y'know?  

 

Especially when the Septics do stuff like this:

Afghan soldiers 'shot by mistake'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3045909.stm

Must be professional jealousy.

msr

 

Interesting that the complaint about prisoner treatment came from the Americans, especially as they have been  subjecting theirs to continual Sesame Street music!!  

Amnesty are concerned!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3042907.stm

 

24 hours of Sesame Street music?!  TC can shoot at my feet all day rather than subject me to that!

 

Given his words about the mark of Cain being on any soldier who needlessly took life, the highest standards of the army and professionalism being required unless a soldier wanted to be shunned by the Regimental family, the talk of respect and liberation and not conquest, I find it hard to believe that he would do exactly what he warned others against doing.

I also find it a huge double standard on the part of any SPAM to consider indicting a British officer of breaking the Geneva Convention on the treatment of PoWs when this is EXACTLY what the US is doing in Camp X-Ray! The only defence that I have heard the SPAMS use about Camp X-Ray is that it is not covered by the Convention, but this is a technicality given the Convention did not forsee the circumstances of the use of Camp X-Ray, and is therefore silent on the matter, it is not because the Convention would otherwise condone the actions of the US.

Then consider the left-leaning, liberal, anti-war bias of the BBC. When they see an icon of somethign they wish to see destroyed in the name of liberalism (the bastion of tradition that is the Army), they smear and triumph any accusation against greater men than them. Do you suppose the BBC will herald any exhonoration of Tim Collins quite so triumphantly? Of course not. Bastards each and every one of them, shamed to death by their own wretched state, a violence of offense on their souls!  

 

Content deleted because it was utter drivel, slanderous, and unproven. I hold you in too much contempt to just delete this post which is why I have edited it, that way everyone else will know that you are a contemptable wind-up merchant too.

Woopert.

 

Aways amused that anti war protesters are quite happy to have poeple shot at dawn and rejoice in casualties so long as they are their own countrymen

Scum

Chris

emphasis mine to illustrate the kind of drivel NIMN comes out with. Sorry to barge in Chris, but the point was well made and needed drawing out!

Woopert