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Sergeant Alexander Blackman
- Thread starter Shayne
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If the guy in the Apache that wounded the bandit had killed him would he be a murderer?
Graham
Well-Known Member
A resounding yes from me too. he is a HERO,
We need 10,000 more just like him
Not like the Taliban or similar actually abide by the rules of engagement any way now is it ?
In his shoes, I wouldn't have hesitated to do the same.
Gra
We need 10,000 more just like him
Not like the Taliban or similar actually abide by the rules of engagement any way now is it ?
In his shoes, I wouldn't have hesitated to do the same.
Gra
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OK, he did wrong but who wouldn't do similar in those circumstances, they are under constant fear of attack, they see there comrades killed and sometimes mutilated,
the stress levels must be almost unbearable, if I was a serviceman I'm sure I would be right beside him doing the same.
I would not be surprised if this goes on much more than we know, if it wasn't for a fellow soldier leaving his helmet cam running no-one would have known.
Dan W
Well-Known Member
He was found guilty in a court of law of murder.
Therefore he is a murderer.
He has tainted the reputation of the British armed forces by killing an injured combatant and defying the Geneva convention. He was not in any danger from the enemy when he killed the combatant and did so without compassion.
Therefore I would not like any of my children to serve with such a person.
Being in the armed forces does not give you a right to do whatever you want.
Therefore he is a murderer.
He has tainted the reputation of the British armed forces by killing an injured combatant and defying the Geneva convention. He was not in any danger from the enemy when he killed the combatant and did so without compassion.
Therefore I would not like any of my children to serve with such a person.
Being in the armed forces does not give you a right to do whatever you want.
What a travesty. Let's see, we'll teach you to be one of the best killers, then get you to do that, then say ooh nasty go to jail!
Who wants to train to be an elite operator when this is the support you get?
Who wants to train to be an elite operator when this is the support you get?
Towpack
Well-Known Member
I too would say yes, but in killing the prisoner he broke the Geneva Convention and was caught openly doing so. Given these facts unfortunately there's nothing else the authorities could do but prosecute. The enemy may well have total disregard for the Convention but this counts for nothing in international law, grossly unfair though that is.
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Don't think it was a prisoner - they thought he was dead already and turns out he wasn't - bad judgement either way from a senior NCO but like they say war is hell ... If you've ever been in a firefight with someone doing their level best to cull you then it makes it way more understandable - unfortunately this is meant to be an honourable war because we're fighting on their behalf. Or for oil. Or something ...
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War results because Law has failed . Geneva convention results from mass genocide and the death of millions of innocents . But war is war , if a man was intent on killing me i would kill him and the law be damned . OK so it went public (which should never have happened) , Sergeant Blackman should have been found guilty of suffering post traumatic stress disorder and given 6 months holiday with his family to recover before resuming his usual duties .
Gary820
Well-Known Member
If he is deemed to be a murderer then from the things my dad told me went on and what he'd done.............. non commissioned sergeant major left with full honours after being shot 3 times. Not classed as a murderer for what he did!! wouldn't of hesitated to pull that trigger, someone else did!!!!!
So yes I'd want sergeant Blackman stood there.
So yes I'd want sergeant Blackman stood there.
Dan W
Well-Known Member
as the judge told him: “This was not an action taken in the heat of battle or immediately after you had been engaged in a firefight.
“Nor were you under any immediate threat. The video footage shows you were in complete control of yourself, standing around for several minutes and not apparently worried that you might be at risk of attack by other insurgents.
“You treated that Afghan man with contempt and murdered him in cold blood. By doing so you have betrayed your corps and all British service personnel who have served in Afghanistan and you have tarnished their reputation.
“In one moment you undermined much of the good work done day in day out by British forces and potentially increased the risk of revenge attacks against your fellow service personnel.”
“Nor were you under any immediate threat. The video footage shows you were in complete control of yourself, standing around for several minutes and not apparently worried that you might be at risk of attack by other insurgents.
“You treated that Afghan man with contempt and murdered him in cold blood. By doing so you have betrayed your corps and all British service personnel who have served in Afghanistan and you have tarnished their reputation.
“In one moment you undermined much of the good work done day in day out by British forces and potentially increased the risk of revenge attacks against your fellow service personnel.”
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It would appear that the element of common sense and fairness has disappeared from the justice system.
The officer class seems to have really shown its true colour in this case by totally abandoning Sergeant Blackman to the dogs of law.
Gary820
Well-Known Member
The British armed forces are quick to train soldiers to kill, quick to send them to war and even quicker at discarding them.
He won't be the first to shoot an enemy in this way and won't be the last!!!
I'd say send him back to war and allow him to die like a soldier not rotting in jail. Problem is a soldier deserves to die at the hands of a soldier not the scum they're at war against.
He won't be the first to shoot an enemy in this way and won't be the last!!!
I'd say send him back to war and allow him to die like a soldier not rotting in jail. Problem is a soldier deserves to die at the hands of a soldier not the scum they're at war against.
Graham
Well-Known Member
Give him a change of identity, and get him back out there at the earliest opportunity.
Give him a rifle, give him support.
He is a trained soldier, soldiers kill people, that's their training.
The fact the Afgan was half dead already cut's no ice, just finish the job, and pop a slug in him.
It's pretty disgusting that the lawyers have turned this into a circus.
Gra.
Give him a rifle, give him support.
He is a trained soldier, soldiers kill people, that's their training.
The fact the Afgan was half dead already cut's no ice, just finish the job, and pop a slug in him.
It's pretty disgusting that the lawyers have turned this into a circus.
Gra.
I think it may be politically motivate, perhaps the UK is trying to distance itself from the kind of madness perpetrated by the worlds greatest nation of terrorists. The USA.
Perhaps they could distance themselves a lot further. What a pity they didn't do it 50 years ago or more and the world wouldn't be the mess it is today, mass consumerism, obese moronic children, a litigation society, 50 years of chaos in Africa, boom and bust economics.............
Not to say I don't have sympathy for the man, my father was Royal Navy. However in Geneva convention terms what he did was wrong and I really wonder what people would be saying if he had been the one killed in the same circumstances.... Patriotism and hypocracy are not the same thing, really.
Perhaps they could distance themselves a lot further. What a pity they didn't do it 50 years ago or more and the world wouldn't be the mess it is today, mass consumerism, obese moronic children, a litigation society, 50 years of chaos in Africa, boom and bust economics.............
Not to say I don't have sympathy for the man, my father was Royal Navy. However in Geneva convention terms what he did was wrong and I really wonder what people would be saying if he had been the one killed in the same circumstances.... Patriotism and hypocracy are not the same thing, really.
My Father was in the RAF and sought some comfort throughout 6 years and 32 bombing missions, that he was hitting military and munitions manufacturing targets. When he found out that his last mission was bombing Dresden, he was sickened and it almost destroyed him. He carried out his orders, but for the first time in his military career, he did not agree with them.
Sorry to say, Sergeant Blackman shamed the force, his country and himself. What he did was a war crime and the Court came to the correct verdict. This is not my opinion, its a fact.
He may well have been a first class soldier and one that trained and learned the crafts of war to perfection. What he did, and it seems encouraged by those in his unit, was wrong.
The controvacy seems to be in whether he should retain his anonymity or have his identity exposed. If the prison supervisors cannot control their inmates, then he is doomed to a prison life of retaliations. He should have thought of that before he murdered the prisoner.
The enemy's atrocoties do not make it right for British (or US) troops to stoop to their barbarism.
As for Shayne's original thread question, my response is no. If my son or daughter were to become unlucky enough to be serving in the forces one day, I would want them to go to battle with someone with more moral fiber than just being good at killing the fcukers.
Military training includes more than just producing mindless Rambo's. The Military should behave honourably.
Sergeant Blackman demonstrated a total lack of honour and humanity.
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Retaliations from who? Unless the prison is over run by beardie types I suspect he will be treated like a hero.
