Gurkha beheads dead Taliban

[peter monahan]

Hard to know what to think about this one. I suppose it depends on whether one espouses the 'hearts and minds' approach, in which case its clearly "Bad Gurkha! Drop it, sir!", or embraces the notion that dead is dead and who cares about his head as long as it served its purpose and wasn't simply a historically sound but tacky way to count coup.

Gurkha ordered back to UK after beheading dead Taliban fighter

By Christopher Leake

A Gurkha soldier has been flown back to the UK after hacking the head off a dead Taliban commander with his ceremonial knife to prove the dead mans identity.

The private, from 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, was involved in a fierce firefight with insurgents in the Babaji area of central Helmand Province when the incident took place earlier this month.

His unit had been told that they were seeking a high value target, a Taliban commander, and that they must prove they had killed the right man.

The Gurkhas had intended to remove the Taliban leaders body from the battlefield for identification purposes.

But they came under heavy fire as their tried to do so. Military sources said that in the heat of battle, the Gurkha took out his curved kukri knife and beheaded the dead insurgent.

He is understood to have removed the mans head from the area, leaving the rest of his body on the battlefield.

This is considered a gross insult to the Muslims of Afghanistan, who bury the entire body of their dead even if parts have to be retrieved.

British soldiers often return missing body parts once a battle has ended so the dead can be buried in one piece.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1295617/Gurkha-ordered-UK-beheading-dead-Taliban-fighter.html#ixzz0wb7ICRAu

Edited August 14, 2010 by peter monahan

[IrishGunner]

Good initiative - poor judgment. Ancient traditions don't play well in the information age.

[Brian Wolfe]

This must be the first time no one had a camera phone with them. Lord knows everytime I screwed up on the job there was someone there taking my photo!

I agree with IrishGunner and would add that this could serve to escalate similar acts from the "other side". I trust the head will be returned for burial.

Regards

Brian

[Guest IMHF]

Wow they chopped of the head Talibani, the Taliban would have chopped off his head if it was the other way around;)

Lorenzo

Edited August 14, 2010 by IMHF

[Hugh]

Hard to know what to think about this one. I suppose it depends on whether one espouses the 'hearts and minds' approach, in which case its clearly "Bad Gurkha! Drop it, sir!", or embraces the notion that dead is dead and who cares about his head as long as it served its purpose and wasn't simply a historically sound but tacky way to count coup.

Gurkha ordered back to UK after beheading dead Taliban fighter

By Christopher Leake

A Gurkha soldier has been flown back to the UK after hacking the head off a dead Taliban commander with his ceremonial knife to prove the dead man’s identity.

The private, from 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, was involved in a fierce firefight with insurgents in the Babaji area of central Helmand Province when the incident took place earlier this month.

His unit had been told that they were seeking a ‘high value target,’ a Taliban commander, and that they must prove they had killed the right man.

The Gurkhas had intended to remove the Taliban leader’s body from the battlefield for identification purposes.

But they came under heavy fire as their tried to do so. Military sources said that in the heat of battle, the Gurkha took out his curved kukri knife and beheaded the dead insurgent.

He is understood to have removed the man’s head from the area, leaving the rest of his body on the battlefield.

This is considered a gross insult to the Muslims of Afghanistan, who bury the entire body of their dead even if parts have to be retrieved.

British soldiers often return missing body parts once a battle has ended so the dead can be buried in one piece.

Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz0wb7ICRAu

My reaction? Tough sh%t! It's war, not tiddlywinks. I hope he got the right guy.

Hugh

[Guest IMHF]

Good article, first time reading about this, but who wants to carry the body around of a guy who killed many Coalition force members the head is lite and all you need to I.D. the insurgent. Plus if you have been to Afganistan you will see it is a place you can not maneuver your vehicles they probabely were on foot.

Lorenzo

[army historian]

Good article, first time reading about this, but who wants to carry the body around of a guy who killed many Coalition force members the head is lite and all you need to I.D. the insurgent. Plus if you have been to Afganistan you will see it is a place you can not maneuver your vehicles they probabely were on foot.

Lorenzo

Yes, if beheading is so taboo, why hasn't anyone done anything about all the Americans, etc., beheaded by Muslim terrorist. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If it were me I would stuff the body parts in a pig, and bury the pig upside down facing west! If you do not respect my culture and religion, why should I respect yours? We should educate the Afghans about what is happening to the rest of the world, not just there little dirt spot! Captain Albert :violent:

Edited August 15, 2010 by army historian

[Paul R]

This topic has a very firey potential. My personal feelings aside, lets not let this thread get too far off the deep end.

[Brian Wolfe]

This topic has a very firey potential. My personal feelings aside, lets not let this thread get too far off the deep end.

Already too late from what I have read, Paul.

We need to remember that the membership is international and includes those of the Islamic faith.

Some of the members may be treading unwise ground.

It's probably time to pull the plug on this one before it goes any farther down that path.

Respectfully submitted.

Brian