UK Marines

[cachecreekcctv 0]

Just want to say we here in America are happy to see your English (UK)Marines home safely. They look so young, but I guess I did also when I was in the Army at 17. Nevermind the American/English press, those warriors did a great job! you should be proud of them.

[imcclendon 0]

hear, hear! Glad that they got home safely.

[Doug 0]

I can't say I would have behaved any differently since I've never been in that situation, and while I'm certainly glad to see them home safely, I was bitterly disapointed in their actions, Hundreds of thousands of long gone British military personnel must be collectively turning in their graves about now.

 

Warriors they aren't, and now they are selling their stories to the media.

They should thank their lucky stars they are home and shut up, I cringe when I hear one of them talking about their "ordeal"

[imcclendon 0]

I can't say that I agree with you. While they are trained military personnel, they are young kids and definitely not hardened warriors. They faced a choice from madmen, they could either comply with their kidnappers demands or they could die. They chose to live, which is certainly understandable. Now they have been offered a little money to share their experiences, and while this may not be the most honorable thing to do, it is certainly within their rights.

 

These kids were political prisoners, caught in the middle of political situation that is growing worse by the day. They were captured and held as symbols of their country, and for that experience they deserve a certain amount of sympathy and understanding.

[Sir Flannel 0]

Glad they're safe and back home.

[CSG 0]

It seems their superior officers and Mr Blair should be taking the blame for

 

1. Not having a helicopter or jet on immediate standby to support these troops. It would have taken one flyby to scare off the Iranian gunboats.

 

2. Not having a shoot first rules of engagement policy in a war zone.

 

I bet Prince Harry will have a whole brigade on watch 24/7

[VST_Man 1]

csg..back-off...........war is never going to be like a video game. The whole region/world is focused on this area and if there is anytime to have restraint, it is now. I am thankful for any good news from that area.

 

If you want helicopters & jets on standbye, or the ability to take another life, run for office or join up. I cannot fault you for your opinion, I can only tell you that "restraint" is something you learn very quickly when you are in someone else's Country in defense of stabilizing freedom's for all. It's never simple or obvious. It's always real and life changing.

 

Semper Fi to those who make it home!!!!

[cachecreekcctv 0]

Right on! Those young Marines kept their cool and avoided a MAJOR incident. Your PM Blair , in my opinion as an American, is one of the most well-spoken and intelligent of all the worlds' leaders we have today. To diffuse a situation , like that could have been , sometimes takes as much backbone, as to get trigger-happy. Those young Marines were doing "smuggler duty" not "special ops" warfare. I applaud them for being there in the first place. I wish all of our young American Marines would be as lucky as those were, to come home one day.!!

[CSG 0]

The point I was making was that if backup was there in the first place, the troops would have never been captured. Once the troops were captured the horse is out of the barn.

 

According to the press reports, the American rules of engagement are that US troops don't need to wait to be shot at before they can fire. They can fire first if a threat is presented. On the other hand, UK troops need to be shot at first before they can return fire.

 

I can't imagine that how the UK senior brass can leave troops out in a rubber boat with only small arms, in a very hostile part of the world, without backup. They are lucky it was only the Iranians that captured them and not Al_Qaida.

 

My guess is that the Iranians wouldn't tempt the US with that same move, especially after the USS Vincennes shot down one of their airliners by accident (1988), they must assume there would be no hesitation to prevent a capture, and their gunboats would end up at the bottom of the Shat Al-Arab.

 

I don't see how the UK military puts troops put in harms way, and you would argue that they shouldn't have backup in order to prevent an "international incident." That makes the troops expendable, something I couldn't agree with.