The truth is the first casualty of war............

[Wacky Racer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4262336.stm

[ErnestM]

I wonder if this will be carried on many news services:

www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,169748,00.html

ErnestM

[andy mac]

Was bad footage I saw earlier. Hope the chaps who got flamed are ok. I would have just run over the feckers doing their protests, and attacking the tank!

[tomtvr]

They were in Tanks! for gods sake, how on earth did a bunch of civilians with petrol bombs and stones manage to defeat 2 tanks!

Im not saying they should have mowed them all down in a hail of bullets - as that would just incite more trouble in the future.

But the crews could have been killed! they surely could have driven away to saftey?

[__Lee__]

tomtvr said:

They were in Tanks! for gods sake, how on earth did a bunch of civilians with petrol bombs and stones manage to defeat 2 tanks! Im not saying they should have mowed them all down in a hail of bullets - as that would just incite more trouble in the future. But the crews could have been killed! they surely could have driven away to saftey?

Us brits being brits could have opened up on those people but no being gung-ho tried to escape by peaceful methods.

Personally if I was the tank commander I would have just driven out of there regardless of the cars and people in the way.

They again showed humanity above the call of duty in not trying to kill them which they could of easily.

[alexkp]

__Lee__ said:

tomtvr said: They were in Tanks! for gods sake, how on earth did a bunch of civilians with petrol bombs and stones manage to defeat 2 tanks! Im not saying they should have mowed them all down in a hail of bullets - as that would just incite more trouble in the future. But the crews could have been killed! they surely could have driven away to saftey? Us brits being brits could have opened up on those people but no being gung-ho tried to escape by peaceful methods. Personally if I was the tank commander I would have just driven out of there regardless of the cars and people in the way. They again showed humanity above the call of duty in not trying to kill them which they could of easily.

Exactly.

But you can bet your ass Al-Jazeera will show it as a victory of stones and petrol bombs over the infidel weaponry.

And what the hell are the Iraqi authorities doing holding British military personnel anyway?

[tomtvr]

That is very true - we know the Americans would have just blasted them all to Kingdom come!!!

[Ballistic Banana]

__Lee__ said:

tomtvr said: They were in Tanks! for gods sake, how on earth did a bunch of civilians with petrol bombs and stones manage to defeat 2 tanks! Im not saying they should have mowed them all down in a hail of bullets - as that would just incite more trouble in the future. But the crews could have been killed! they surely could have driven away to saftey? Us brits being brits could have opened up on those people but no being gung-ho tried to escape by peaceful methods. Personally if I was the tank commander I would have just driven out of there regardless of the cars and people in the way. They again showed humanity above the call of duty in not trying to kill them which they could of easily.

Totally agrre and take my hat of to them(although i thought the should have put theres on when running out of the tanks).
Apparentlt they were worried the Tanks arsenal may explode with the fire. I take it that not actually beeing in a war zone they may carry some on the outside of the Tank. whereas in combat it would all be inside.

Thought the same as the others why dont they just drive out of there.... But guess they would have been in court tomorrow for murdering god knows how many innocent protestors

BB

[andy mac]

Like the accusation of bashing the jail wall down to get out lads out!!

[bigtone]

"MoD officials insist they have been talking to the Iraqi authorities to secure the release of the men - who were reported to be working undercover."

Ok, not your normal squadie then...

Hereford involvement, perhaps?

[john75]

tomtvr said:

They were in Tanks! for gods sake, how on earth did a bunch of civilians with petrol bombs and stones manage to defeat 2 tanks! Im not saying they should have mowed them all down in a hail of bullets - as that would just incite more trouble in the future. But the crews could have been killed! they surely could have driven away to saftey?

Great this is the British Army at it best.

It was Warrior Armoured Personnel carrier not a tank.

Even so one wonders just how and why a rescue mission of this type was carried out in broad daylight when protestors were around surely a night time op would have been more successful.

[MilnerR]

john75 said:

Even so one wonders just how and why a rescue mission of this type was carried out in broad daylight when protestors were around surely a night time op would have been more successful.

That's the big question, maybe the two detained soldiers were a little more than a pair of "undercover" squaddies, and needed getting back before they fell into less friendly hands.

I'm surprised there wasn't more blood shed. Talking to my father about it who served in the parachute regiment in cyprus and the suez canal in the 50s. In similar situations their orders had been to use overwhelming force to protect British lives and equipment. In real terms this would have involved a Bren gunner firing into the crowd until they either dispersed or presented no threat

[968]

ErnestM said:

I wonder if this will be carried on many news services: www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,169748,00.html ErnestM

Probably not, as it is from Fox news ergo it is likely to be utter bollox. Even if it isn't, it's credibility is massively reduced by having Fox news attached to it.

[Sheepy]

john75 said:

Even so one wonders just how and why a rescue mission of this type was carried out in broad daylight when protestors were around surely a night time op would have been more successful.

Because they knew where they were at that point, and with the lads in militia hands, would have been worried about losing contact with them under cover of night.

Sheepy

[r988]

tomtvr said:

That is very true - we know the Americans would have just blasted them all to Kingdom come!!!

And thats just the british tanks, imagine what they would have do to iraqi civilians

[Mr Whippy]

Iraq is getting really boring now. Two more tanks burned, so thats our fuel duty going up for sure now

Would prefer them to have run people over and kept the tanks as to save some money!

Bloody wars in deserty places eh

Dave

[ErnestM]

968 said:

ErnestM said: I wonder if this will be carried on many news services: <a href="www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,169748,00.html">www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,169748,00.html</a> ErnestM It's an Associated Press story that Fox News chose to run it is not a Fox News exclusive story. Any news organisation with an AP news feed can CHOOSE to run it or not. Amazing to see the ones that select NOT to run it, wouldn't you say? ErnestM Probably not, as it is from Fox news ergo it is likely to be utter bollox. Even if it isn't, it's credibility is massively reduced by having Fox news attached to it.