Category: War on Terror

Interrogated, interviewed who gives a damn. We are at war and if we can’t interview/interrogate/harrass/threaten/grill/question/cross-examine/quiz/play bad music near/annoint with red textra/yell at/take stupid photos of/point at their dicks and laugh to try and stop them murdering women and kids and slitting throats of innocents then what are we allowed to do? ABC’s Lateline program can always find some recalcitrant to critisize Howard. It’s hardly world shattering although I know some Banshees, Luvvies of the ABC and others, short of life skills and experiences, thrive on every word; the bulk of the population are more worried about wages, interest rates, kids, kid’s education and other ‘real life’ worries. ABC see it as their role in life and that’s fine but the ALP, desperate to appear meaningful, are grabbing at straws and need to tell the Left to shutup while they try and regain some relevance in Australian politics.

Yesterday, the SMH managed an almost total negative spin on the Iraq elections. Today there are some positives but the emphasis is still on the bombers. According to some areas of the press the thirty or forty people killed yesterday are more important than the millions who participated in the poll. Births are never bloodless, including the arrival of democracy and whereas the deaths of the victims is to be regretted there are more positives than negatives. The Left and a good proportion of the MSM will now be busy rationalising the 28% who didn’t vote as representing a civil war or somehow or other representing the evil that is the US. However if you don’t view all of life starting with a Bush/the US/Howard are evil premise then there is lots of good news. News.com has a fairly balance article

Samir Hassan, 32 – who lost his leg in a car bomb blast last year – said as he waited to vote in Baghdad: “I would have crawled here if I had to. I don’t want terrorists to kill other Iraqis like they tried to kill me.”

and

Voters formed long queues, creating an almost festive atmosphere in Shiite areas and the Kurdish north, where officials said turnout was highest. Some had walked for miles, and many chanted and clapped.

The Washington Post is generally positive as is the New York Times Al Jjazeera headlines Confusion surrounds Iraq poll turnout and Conflicting claims but does acknowledge that Chalabi (is) confident In my mind, an altogether positive result. Another step on the road to democracy and another blow to those who would wish for more power to the clerics and it’s associated stiffling of freedom and thought.

From Defence Media Australian soldiers were involved in two separate incidents earlier today at approximately 10 am Baghdad time, involving Anti-Iraq Forces. The first incident occurred when the ADF Security Detachment (SECDET) was engaged with small arms fire in the vicinity of the Australian Embassy. Fortunately there were no Australian casualties resulting from this incident. In another incident an ADF SECDET Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) patrol was engaged by a suspected vehicle borne explosive device. A number of soldiers were injured with two requiring surgery. The next of kin of the soldiers requiring surgery have been informed. The SECDET ASLAVs were on a routine task in Baghdad when the attack occurred. This incident does not affect the ADF’s capability to provide security for the diplomatic staff and other members of the ADF contingent deployed in Iraq. Violent incidents in Iraq have increased in the lead up to the election this Sunday as Anti-Iraq Forces seek to defeat the election process. Despite these hostile actions, ADF personnel remain very determined and well prepared to assist the people of Iraq in their bid for a safe, stable and secure future.

this just in from Defence Media Iraq incident involving Australian Security Detachment Australian soldiers from the Security Detachment responded to an incident yesterday where shots were fired at a man after he was observed acting suspiciously in the vicinity of the Australian Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. Prior to the shooting, the man was driving a suspicious looking vehicle. The vehicle stopped near the Security Detachment Flats and the man alighted and, despite being given repeated warnings, the driver continued to act in a suspicious manner and failed to comply with directions. At approximately 12.20pm, shots were fired at the man. The man was injured and assisted from the scene by Iraqi authorities. His condition is unknown. The Australian Defence Force is currently investigating the incident. No further information is available at this time. Update The guy has died and the Air Commodore Evans is sad.

Sadly, we’ve learned just recently from unconfirmed reports from Iraqi sources that he’s passed away,”

There is going to be an investigation as well.

“We are trying to confirm that and the investigation, of course, will cover that most carefully.”

The guy gave all indications he was leaving a bombed up vehicle near the digger’s accomodation, was told in Arabic to behave himself and when he still looked iffy someone topped him. Seems reasonable to me yet the commander is ‘sad’ and we’re having an investigation. Funny way to run a war.

There has been debate for some time now about the US Marine who killed a wounded, unarmed terrorist during the battle for Fallujah. Murder most foul or self defence? Predictably the Left call it murder and the right, justifiable homicide or words to that effect. At this stage, until we hear the words and thoughts of the Marine, no one is in a position to call it either way. No one other than the Marine knows the answer. Kevin Sites doesn’t – he just recorded an event. Commentators around the world can’t know either as there are too many factors involved. Kevin Sites appeals to all to understand his point of view and why he submitted the film for release. His story rings true and doesn’t indicate any bias. I’m happy to accept that Kevin believes what he says In Vietnam, when dealing with severely wounded or dead we would loop a rope around an arm, pull back out of grenade range and then turn the body over. You see, the enemy being fanatics, were known to remove the pin from a grenade as their last defiant act and secure the grenade with the lever under their body or a limb. When turned over the grenade would explode. If they are prepared to do this as their last conscience thought do you think they won’t do the same when they have more control over their body. They will, believe me. Romantics and novelists quote flags of truce and Geneva Conventions. The soldier sticks to reality and until he is totally in control Rule 5.56 applies. Wounded isn’t enough. The Marine would be looking in the terrorists eyes for a hint of resignation or defiance. He would be looking for tiny body movements that might herald danger..a pistol coming up…a grenade being thrown or rolled. His limbic brain would be in control. It would be assessing the risk and preparing to fight or flee. It has already filed the fact that these terrorists, lying on the ground wounded, have previously killed Marines and it would not be prepared to give the terrorist the benefit of the doubt. The Marine did what all soldiers have always done….assessed the situation and acted. This is not the time to cut any slack. Mistakes translate into death and hesitation itself can be a fatal mistake. Kevin Sites doesn’t know all of this and if he thinks he does he’s wrong. Its a feeling not a sentence in a rule book. He is in Iraq filming action and has no responsibility to react in a split second to try and save lives except his own. He just records the events with a lens that in no way is wired through the brain and vision of the Marine. Not for him the hundreds of hours Marines train to react very quickly to threats. Not for him the responsibility of the life of the man following him. He records history. It is the role of the soldier to play his part in making that history and it is no less important because that role is a small one. The Marine didn’t go into that room prepared to fire He went in prepared not to fire if he was very quickly convinced it was safe. He has already applied first pressure to the trigger and as it is his and his mates lives at risk, and not the cameraman?s, then he gets the call. The Marine only has to say;

Sir, I thought he was moving his hand towards a hidden weapon or rolling off an unpinned grenade or about to press a detonator or…..you get the message

and the investigating officer must clear him. If the Marine’s perception of the circumstances was that he and his mates were under threat then he did what he was trained to do. If, on the other hand, he went into the room, was satisfied that all inside were not a threat and then he killed one then that is murder. That moment in battle when the ‘heat of battle’ has cooled is a very fine line that can’t be discerned by cameras or words. Initially it is a slow down of nerves, breathing, pulse and reactions – a sense of having survived and then quickly becomes a state of affairs when the tactics change to securing the scene and the prisoners. Good commanders pick it quickly and true, some soldiers have to be told it is now over, but before you condemn anyone slow to change, measure the adrenalin in his blood and the fear in his heart and then comment. If you can’t do either then leave it be. In the long term I expect the matter will die. Sane and experienced men will know these things and feel all I have said. Thankfully, the commentators aren’t the judges as well.