UK bans soldiers ....

[Chris Boonzaier]

From telling their stories...

maybe more for the current affairs section... but I am interested how it would relate to the "Olden days"...

So the 15 sailors/marines have to keep their traps shut....

Let me just say one word...

Winston Churchill.

Britains finest. Soldier Journalist publishing the events as he lived them...

Many, many British histories were done under those circumstances....

[Guest Rick Research]

Banned? The exact opposite. My understanding was they'd blabbed all in Sunday's tabloids for heaps of unseemly cash already.

[Kev in Deva]

Hi Rick,

there has been a ban imposed on them selling any details to the Press, if any paper has paid them money then I supose it will have to be returned

Seems there was a rather large Public outcry from the families and relatives of British soldiers killed in Iraq and Afganistan.

Kevin in Deva

[Jacky]

Well, it might also be for their good....

Their stories have damaged morale, but also retaking their words now doesn't heal it.

Just ban them from telling their stories untill all is clear will help an awfull lot!

Kind regards,

Jacky

[Glenn J]

Their stories , for what they are worth - should only be sold when they LEAVE the service. All very undignified and extremely unprofessional.

Regards

Glenn

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Jacky

Their is no problem with these people talking, they did enough of it for their Iranian hosts

the problem is that many families of service men killed in Afganistan and Iraq think that being offered hugh sums of money 150,000+ British Pounds by the "gutter" press is appaling and somehow degrads the memories of the people who gave their lives (after the funerals the sacrifice and the memory of the dead are soon forgotton by the public).

Kevin in Deva

[Jacky]

That's exact what I mean with damaging the morale,

it's not only the military but also the civil side of this "happening"

They should just have kept their mouths SHUT.

But now, they have talked, too much then good was for them!

And now selling their stories, although promising that the money will be divided amongst the needed,

doesn't do any good to them, the defence and the whole debacle.

It's just crap.

[Kev in Deva]

Jacky,

at first they were given permission to sell the stories by the Ministry of Defence, after the flare up, the Government quickly changed its mind.

Kevin in Deva

[Megan]

The only place they should be telling their stories is in front of a Court Martial!

But hopefully they will be given dishonourable discharges soon, and so at least if they have sold their stories they will have something to live on.

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Megan

May I ask why a Court-Martial ?? or even a dishonourable discharge??

If its with regards accepting money for their stories, they were given permission at first to sell them.

If its with regards being surrounded and captured by a larger group of Iranian Guard, they were under a UN mandate which typically states they can only fire in defence of their own lives or a comrades life, surrender was their the only option. (here it must be asked how come they had no air-cover or were so far away from suitable back-up, clearly the Iranians were able to exploit this poor security having obviously been monitoring how the R.N. patrols operate. Also it must be remembered they were operating under slightly differant rules as say a British soldier in downtown Basra or in Afganistan, at the moment there is no war with Iran.

If, its because they allowed themselves to be used by the Iranians, (without seemingly putting up much resistence) then the training methods employed by the British Military should be reviewed, these were not R.A.F pilots or SAS / SBS who have undergone the escape and evasion survival courses.

Probably if it was just Royal Marines alone the picture would be somewhat differant, there being a woman amongst the patrol, probably had some bearing on the circumstances as well.

Ordinarely seamen tend to be far removed from the normal rigours of war, and have no preperation for being captured or indeed the stress involved with it, today, very suttle methods of interregation are employed, by people who have had lots of practise.

The buck stops with the Officer / Patrol Commander, who lead them and whose job it would have been too look after the welfare of the men and woman in his charge.

Till all is made clear lets hold off with the "Firing Squad"

Kevin in Deva.

[Megan]

Well, I expect that the commanding officer of HMS Cornwall will also have some difficult questions to answer before he starts looking for a new career.

But however poorly trained, even those shameful muppets will have heard of 'Name, Rank, Number, Date of Birth.'

[Kev in Deva]

Well, I expect that the commanding officer of HMS Cornwall will also have some difficult questions to answer before he starts looking for a new career.

But however poorly trained, even those shameful muppets will have heard of 'Name, Rank, Number, Date of Birth.'

Hallo Megan;

Not sure how you can equate any of what happened to the Commanding Officer of HMS Cornwall, its not his job to go along and hold the hand of the i/c of every patrol sent out.

While Number, Rank, & Name, works well in the movies, in the real world you are dealing with individuals, who deserve a right of defence, before being condemed, remember the old adage "Innocent until, proven quilty."

Kevin in Deva.