spare a thought for the shat al arab soldiers - fellow sailors

[Gunfleet]

During the summer I met some soldiers in a fast military boat on the East Coast. They'd run over for the day from the Medway and admitted that they were training for Iraq. I suppose Foulness is the nearest we have to the Shat al arab The soldiers were very nice and extremely polite. They wanted to know if they could use the yacht club washroom. I told them in no uncertain terms that people in Essex considered them 'our' army - they were only too welcome. I sincerely hope none of them were among the poor sods blown up on the shat al arab but, realistically, one of the teams that trained in that way would be. The news on 11th November made me wish - not for the first time - Mr Blair would tuck his pride away and fetch our soldiers home.

 

[Becky]

I couldn't agree more.

Isn't it about time we sorted out the problems at home before getting involved in things we clearly don't understand? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Norman_E]

I have a better idea, let's bring our soldiers back, and send out Bliar and all his cronies to replace them.

 

[graham]

Fully agree Becky. eventually our troops will be withdrawn when our leaders realize there is no military solution.Its all a question of how many more of our young men and women have to die in the meantime.

I served in the army for 9 years,some of it driving boats.

 

[Norman_E]

Exactly. Bush and Bliar just don't get it. Their only options are "Run away now" and "Run away Later". The only difference is the number of lives lost in the meantime.

 

[AlienP2]

That would save US/UK lives, not sure about Iraqi lives. The question is will staying 'a bit longer' get Iraq to the point where they can keep a lid on things themselves. (I use the term 'keep a lid on things' very loosely - arguably, we have mass slaughter already).

Thought that the defence ministers quote "this serves as a reminder to us..." was some way off mark, we don't need bloody reminding you fool.

Meanwhile, the 4 in the boat have been named (here).

 

[Norman_E]

I don't think "staying a bit longer" will help at all, arguably things have been getting worse lately. In terms of UK and US casualties, much worse in the last few months, and Iraqi casualties also show no sign of diminishing. Iraq will have a civil war whether we leave now or later, and the only real winner will the regime in Iran.

 

[samirc]

You are all right , I do not see why even one soldier should die for a Lie drumed up by Bush and his poodles......no weapons of mass destruction ...... a 45 minute threat my god , how can these politicains sleep at night they lie so much they start beleiving their own crap. .....I say bring them back NOW.

 

[kengill]

RIP


I listened to this last night after I'd heard


Well how do you do, Private William McBride
Do you mind if I sit here down by your grave side?
A rest for awhile in the warm summer sun,
I've been walking all day and I'm nearly done.
And I see by your gravestone that you were only 19
when you joined the glorious fallen in 1916.
Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
Or, William McBride, was it slow and obscene?

CHORUS:
Did they beat the drum slowly?
did they sound the pipes lowly?
Did the rifles fire o'er ye as they lowered you down?
Did the bugle sing 'The Last Post' in chorus?
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'?

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind?
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined
And though you died back in 1916
To that loyal heart are you always 19.
Or are you just a stranger without even a name
Forever enclosed behind some glass-pane
In an old photograph torn and tattered and stained
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?

Well, the sun it shines down on these green fields of France,
The warm wind blows gently and the red poppies dance.
The trenches are vanished now under the plough
No gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard it is still No Man's Land
And the countless white crosses in mute witness stand.
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man
And a whole generation that was butchered and downed.

And I can't help but wonder now Willie McBride
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause?
Did you really believe them that this war would end war?
The suffering, the sorrow, some the glory, the shame -
The killing and dying - it was all done in vain.
For Willie McBride, it's all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again.

Did they beat the drum slowly?
did they sound the pipe lowly?
Did the rifles fire o'er ye as they lowered you down?
Did the bugle sing 'The Last Post' in chorus?
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'?

Last time I cried like that was when the Shiny Sheff went down