This is probably one of Michael’s last postings from his time with the British 2 Rifles. As always, it is an excellent piece of writing with more photos than I think he has ever included in a post.
This will take a few minutes to read, but well worth it. Below is one of my favorite lines in the posting and caused me to laugh pretty good.
“What if the bird says, ‘I love Mullah Omar.’” I asked the interpreter. “Then we must shoot it!” he answered.
The release by Scottish authorities of convicted Libyan intelligence agent Abdel Baset al-Megrahi from prison has created one of the most negative emotional reactions in the United States and other countries. Moved by anger toward the injustice displayed by Scottish authorities to the families and survivors of the victims of the terror attack against Pan Am Flight 103, Americans and large segments of international public opinion are infuriated by the freeing of the convicted terrorist, even under the described Scottish legal values based on compassionate release due to terminal illness.
These exceptional stipulations, when applicable, are designed for criminal cases where one person killed another individual under complex circumstances. A sudden terminal illness is perceived as enough punishment by nature or the divine to grant a severely conditioned release to the family, without any affront to justice and pain to the survivors of the victim.
But that is one thing. Granting freedom to a terrorist who murdered hundreds of innocents civilians bound on an airplane is something that no Scottish, British, American, or international legal value permits. The statements made by Scotland’s minister of justice should not stand in this case. This was no regular murder. This was a mass murder, and compassionate release can only be granted by the survivors of the victims, and should have been legally considered by the national legislatures in Britain and the United States.
The United Kingdom should have superceded Scottish procedures to humanity, not deployed alleged legal technicalities. Edinburgh was wrong legally, and London was as wrong morally. But the matter is even more serious than media and political sensationalism makes it to be. The bigger picture is more ominous. It relates to the present crumbling of Western strategic behavior. The diplomatic and political handling of the oppressive Libyan regime is the root cause of the al-Megrahi’s scandal. Here is why:
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Commander, General Stanley McChrystal, has issued a directive stating his requirements for all ISAF personnel to adhere to appropriate legal driving procedures and behavior in Afghanistan.
“The manner in which ISAF forces interact with and treat the Afghan people directly correlates to our ability to earn their trust and support. ISAF forces are highly conspicuous when travelling in vehicles and I expect ISAF members to drive in ways that respect the safety and well-being of the Afghan people,” said General McChrystal.
In his guidance, McChrystal emphasizes safe driving to be an essential ingredient in the successful prosecution of the ISAF mission. “Safe and considerate driving represents a visible and tangible sign of our commitment to the people of Afghanistan,” General McChrystal said.
The Theatre Driving Principles direct ISAF personnel to adhere to safe driving practices, such as respecting Afghan traffic rules and regulations, driving at an appropriate speed, and driving defensively. It is the responsibility of every member in the chain of command to encourage and reinforce a culture of safe driving with ISAF, the directive concludes.
**BOUHAMMER NOTE- If you have been to Afghanistan or even if you haven’t, but you have a loved one there, I am curious as to what you think of this new directive. Is this the right approach, or putting our men and women at too much risk?
A USS Denver Sailor died in a motorcycle crash after he allegedly assaulted his family in an attack that left his 12-year-old son dead Sunday at Sasebo Naval Base in Japan, base officials said Monday.
A former NBA player who often wondered about his true calling, Tim James is now a U.S. Army Soldier, a transformation that even many of the people closest to him never saw coming.
U.S. military authorities in Afghanistan have terminated a contract with a company that was producing profiles of reporters seeking to cover a war that's becoming increasingly unpopular with the American public.
The commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan said in an assessment of the war that a new strategy was needed to fight the Taliban, while NATO officials disclosed he may request more troops. McChrystal's report recommends focusing counterinsurgency efforts on the Afghan population and less on militants.
The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a new communique from Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula claiming responsibility for the attempted assassination of the Deputy Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef al-Saud. The statement identified the suicide bomber behind the attack as 23-year old Abdullah Hassan Aseri (a.k.a. "Abu al-Khayr"), one of the 85 most wanted Al-Qaida fugitives sought by the Saudi government. According to the communique, Aseri "was able to enter [Nayef's] palace and circulate amongst his bodyguards, thereupon igniting his explosive device-we will not disclose how it was made or the method of detonation-after he passed through all the checkpoints in Najran and Jeddah airports, and was transferred aboard the plane that belongs to the aforementioned [Nayef]." Al-Qaida also claimed to have uncovered "a network of spies and collaborators who are in league with that criminal [Nayef] and which the government of Yemen is oblivious to. There are exciting details that we will announce later, Allah-willing."
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s), myself included, and not intended as a directive or recommendation. Your ability to in turn express your opinions are just one of the rights I defended as a United States Army soldier. I respect and encourage that right. I ask only this; if you disagree with any of the material presented, either by the author or by posters, take a deep breath and think before you post. Be introspective. Be concise. Form a complete, well thought, and above all polite response before posting. The inability to communicate politely and succinctly on emotionally charged issues will do nothing to promote productive sharing of viewpoints. We must speak rationally and intelligently to each other as individuals before we can ever hope to do it as a country. To do anything less is to denigrate each other, hide away the truth, and perpetuate that which we seek to overcome.
