70 replies to this topic

[l'angelo mysterioso]

This doesn't do expat British workers any favours.


http://www.thetelegr...urgents/?ref=ec

he wants to keep his trap shut


no self respecting service personnel brags about killing people: it just isn't done.

[Severus]

he wants to keep his trap shut


no self respecting service personnel brags about killing people: it just isn't done.

I think you are being a bit harsh here. He was asked whether he had killed people and this was his response

"Yeah, so lots of people have," he said matter-of-factly, after being asked if he had killed from the cockpit. "The squadron's been out here. Everyone's fired a certain amount."

I don't see that as bragging and it is very similar to accounts by other service personal serving in Afghanistan. He was asked a question and answer it truthfully, even deflecting the attention to others in his squadron.

[Wolford6]

Apparently the Algerian terrorist group is linked to one of the terrorist groups that the UK is clandestinely supporting (albeit politically rather than financially) against Assad in Syria.

Just like we supported Sadaam Hussain when we were more worried about Iran than Iraq.

The British public gets told what they want us to hear.

[l'angelo mysterioso]

I think you are being a bit harsh here. He was asked whether he had killed people and this was his response

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I don't see that as bragging and it is very similar to accounts by other service personal serving in Afghanistan. He was asked a question and answer it truthfully, even deflecting the attention to others in his squadron.

I take your point sevvy
but it still isn't the done thing.

[JohnM]

I don't know.

Me neither.....but then we are not in charge of anything. Well, I'M not anyway!

[Northern Sol]

Apparently the Algerian terrorist group is linked to one of the terrorist groups that the UK is clandestinely supporting (albeit politically rather than financially) against Assad in Syria.

Just like we supported Sadaam Hussain when we were more worried about Iran than Iraq.

The British public gets told what they want us to hear.

We did not support Saddam Hussein. The USA sent him reconnaisance pictures of Iranian positions but did not give him any arms. We gave no intelligence and sold arms for cash.

[Northern Sol]

The Western world (UN) left it to the African Union to stop human rights abuse against Christians by the Sudanese government. The AU force was useless as none of the African states wanted to upset Sudan. The poor Darfuri Christians still got displaced, tortured, raped and killed by Moslems.

If the Christian West is to do anything in Africa, it should restrict itself to protecting Christians against Moslem atrocities.

Incidentally, I have no religion.

I think you are a little confused here. Sudan was primarily a conflict between the Muslim Arab north and the black African Christian and animist south but Darfur is an exception to this.

People in Darfur are black African Muslims, which is why they didn't end up as part of South Sudan. It's a very nasty conflict but it is not a religious conflict.

[Northern Sol]

I've just re-read my post. I wasn't pointing a finger. I was asking a question. So given the interpretation of the UN as a talking shop, how far up their agenda do you think the situation in Africa is? I mean to say, this is not just any conflict...the rise of militant Islamic fundamental terrorism seems to me to be more than trivial and more than local.

Still, if the UN isn't the right forum, what is? Unless there really isn't a problem at all?

As is the Islamist issue doesn't become a war between NATO and Russia or NATO and China then the UN will have done what it was designed to do.

[Wolford6]

We did not support Saddam Hussein. The USA sent him reconnaisance pictures of Iranian positions but did not give him any arms. We gave no intelligence and sold arms for cash.

When I worked for a local government waste disposal unit, we bought two heavy duty artic units ... originally built by a British company for hauling tanks across the desert. These had been supposedly built for supply to Saddam Hussein's regime under a government contract. However, the contract had got cancelled by HMG for political reasons.

[Wolford6]

I think you are a little confused here. Sudan was primarily a conflict between the Muslim Arab north and the black African Christian and animist south but Darfur is an exception to this.

People in Darfur are black African Muslims, which is why they didn't end up as part of South Sudan. It's a very nasty conflict but it is not a religious conflict.

As I understand it, a lot of Christians were either driven or fled into the Darfur desert because that's where the UN paid for refugee camps which the African Union was supposed to police and protect.

Edited by Wolford6, 22 January 2013 - 04:58 PM.

[JohnM]

As is the Islamist issue doesn't become a war between NATO and Russia or NATO and China then the UN will have done what it was designed to do.

Not convinced. As posted earlier,, does this not apply?

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED

• to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
• to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
• to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
• to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Edited by JohnM, 22 January 2013 - 05:05 PM.

[Northern Sol]

When I worked for a local government waste disposal unit, we bought two heavy duty artic units ... originally built by a British company for hauling tanks across the desert. These had been supposedly built for supply to Saddam Hussein's regime under a government contract. However, the contract had got cancelled by HMG for political reasons.

Yeah, we sold them to the Iraqis then pulled the plug. Selling arms doesn't necessarily constitute "support". Most Iraqi weapons came from the USSR, Saddam was in the Soviet camp. A fact rarely mentioned.

[Northern Sol]

Not convinced. As posted earlier,, does this not apply?

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED

• to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
• to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
• to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
• to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

It does but it applies to conflict between states not internal conflicts. The UN has never had much of a part to play in internal conflicts, quite deliberately, since this was the trigger for World War One.

There is a vague obligation to prevent genocide (not defined clearly) and an obligation to help refugees (not all countries signed up to this) and then an undertaking to try to alleviate the effects of war (Peace Monitors etc). At no point is there any right to intervene in the internal affairs of other states, in fact, it is prohibited unless specifically authorised by the UN.

Edited by Northern Sol, 22 January 2013 - 05:12 PM.

[Northern Sol]

As I understand it, a lot of Christians were either driven or fled into the Darfur desert because that's where the UN paid for refugee camps which the African Union was supposed to police and protect.

Who would flee to Darfur? Why would Sudanese forces drive anyone to an area whose status is already contested?

Even if anyone had, why would they stay there rather than return to the independent state of South Sudan?

[JohnM]

Who will save us from militant Islam terrorists?

[Wolford6]

Who would flee to Darfur? Why would Sudanese forces drive anyone to an area whose status is already contested?

Even if anyone had, why would they stay there rather than return to the independent state of South Sudan?

I'm guessing that Nuba Christians were driven there. I just remember seeing a harrowing newspaper article about a widowed Christian woman and her associates in of the camps. At that time, there was no South Sudan.

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article45244

[Northern Sol]

I'm guessing that Nuba Christians were driven there. I just remember seeing a harrowing newspaper article about a widowed Christian woman and her associates in of the camps. At that time, there was no South Sudan.

http://www.sudantrib...hp?article45244

The Nuba are mostly Muslim.

[Northern Sol]

Who will save us from militant Islam terrorists?

We will.

[Methven Hornet]

I merely ask the question on the basis that there seems to be growing instability in the region and that if no one does anything, then nothing will be done. If you are happy with that, then fine.

And I merely ask the question as to what sort of strength they need to show. If it is military force you are thinking of, where will that come from? If it is some other sort of strength what do you have in mind, and how will the UN - an organisation made up of member states - deliver it?

[Wolford6]

The Nuba are mostly Muslim.

From Wikipedia:

The majority of the Nuba living in the east, west and northern parts of the mountains are Muslims, while those living to the south are either Christians or practice traditional animistic religions.