A Tuesday boiler

[V8mate]

I was watching the late news yesterday and it reported the inquiry into the death of Baha Mousa who was being held by British troops in Iraq.

I experienced the usual mix of emotions - swinging from the 'it's a war situation; soldiers have tough jobs to do' right through to 'it's important that deaths are kept to a minimum; especially civilians'.

Whichever way you dice it up, it's not good when people die unnecessarily.

But then came the boiler. Cameras go and visit his parents. Lots of understandable sad faces and waving of photos. And the news that, so far, the family have received £3m (yes, three million pounds!) of compensation for the chap's death.

WTF are we doing? How much does the family of a British serviceman (or, more logically, locally employed British worker!) get when some savage blows them up or cuts their head off on camera? No amount of money can bring their son back, so why leave the family laughing all the way to the bank?

Shocked and appalled.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8146614.stm

[CrashTD]

One is the best military in the world, supported by a justice system and a democracy. The other is a militant group of pretty barbaric terrorists.

The Army can not hand out millions to the families of people who died in combat, an occupational hazzard. But they can (and should) pay out when their own are pissing on people and burning people. Torturing of prisoners was part of the reason for going in.

[Sisyphus]

I think it is actually £3M to the families of 10 victims but that's not quite as emotive is it?

[fadeaway]

Sisyphus said:

I think it is actually £3M to the families of 10 victims but that's not quite as emotive is it?

As Sisyphus said, that's across the familites of the 10 victims:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7500204.stm

Think that's too much? Then blame the people that beat and killed the prisoners! BTW, one of them became the UK's first convicted war criminal under the International Criminal Court Act.

[Tiggsy]

As above, £3m divided by 10.....and the reason they get more than our soldiers is that a soldier signs up to be used in that way - civilians in their homes shouldnt expect to die, soldiers should regard it a very real possibility.

I'm all for them getting more kit to do the job but if the worse happens i dont want to be paying squadies families millions of pounds.

[Nolar Dog]

Doesn't a squaddie get paid to do a job that might end in his death?

Civilians however don't so it's right that their family should be compensated for their loss.

Especially when it was caused by an egotistical fkwit.

[V8mate]

fadeaway said:

As Sisyphus said, that's across the familites of the 10 victims:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7500204.stm

Think that's too much? Then blame the people that beat and killed the prisoners! BTW, one of them became the UK's first convicted war criminal under the International Criminal Court Act.

Apologies; that's not how I heard it on last night's bulletin, but accept my error. I wasn't trying to be deliberately inflammatory.

Nolar Dog said:

Doesn't a squaddie get paid to do a job that might end in his death?

Civilians however don't so it's right that their family should be compensated for their loss.

Especially when it was caused by an egotistical fkwit.

So how much, exactly, did the Iraqi people pay over to the families of people like Kenneth Bigley? Or does 'collateral damage' only work one way?

[The Prophet]

V8mate said:

So how much, exactly, did the Iraqi people pay over to the families of people like Kenneth Bigley? Or does 'collateral damage' only work one way?

It's not really the same thing, is it? Ken Bigley was murdered by Tawhid wal-Jihad, an extremist group led by a Jordanian. They're not representative of the Iraqi people or government so it's hardly fair to suggest that the Iraqi people should have to pay compensation as a result of their actions.

[EDLT]

V8mate said:

So how much, exactly, did the Iraqi people pay over to the families of people like Kenneth Bigley? Or does 'collateral damage' only work one way?

He went over to Iraq as a contractor and was very well paid, surely he knew the risks?

[Nolar Dog]

Seems the Ken Bigley thing has been answered before I got there.

[V8mate]

Nolar Dog said:

Seems the Ken Bigley thing has been answered before I got there.

Seems like you missed the word 'like' in my statement too.

[Tiggsy]

V8mate said:

Nolar Dog said:

Seems the Ken Bigley thing has been answered before I got there.

Seems like you missed the word 'like' in my statement too.

Did you mean this:

"So how much, exactly, did the Iraqi people pay over to the families of people like Kenneth Bigley?" as in "like" Kenneth...because you cant post a comment, slip in "like" and then use it to explain you didnt mean "exactly like"

Otherwise, 10 plus 10 is like 25

[NISMOgtr]

V8mate said:

Shocked and appalled.

...at how anyone can do that to someone else. Unbelievable.

How can just one person be charged with the offence? Surely there must have been others who knew about it, and therefore involved to a certain extent?

Edited by NISMOgtr on Tuesday 14th July 17:01

[427James]

V8mate said:

I was watching the late news yesterday and it reported the inquiry into the death of Baha Mousa who was being held by British troops in Iraq.

I experienced the usual mix of emotions - swinging from the 'it's a war situation; soldiers have tough jobs to do' right through to 'it's important that deaths are kept to a minimum; especially civilians'.

Whichever way you dice it up, it's not good when people die unnecessarily.

But then came the boiler. Cameras go and visit his parents. Lots of understandable sad faces and waving of photos. And the news that, so far, the family have received £3m (yes, three million pounds!) of compensation for the chap's death.

WTF are we doing? How much does the family of a British serviceman (or, more logically, locally employed British worker!) get when some savage blows them up or cuts their head off on camera? No amount of money can bring their son back, so why leave the family laughing all the way to the bank?

Shocked and appalled.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8146614.stm

I know everyone is against you, but I agree that British servicemens' families should be better looked after and at least as well as Iraqi civilians.

[Mojocvh]

Time for Bliar and CO to be in the dock.

[Sisyphus]

427James said:

V8mate said:

I was watching the late news yesterday and it reported the inquiry into the death of Baha Mousa who was being held by British troops in Iraq.

I experienced the usual mix of emotions - swinging from the 'it's a war situation; soldiers have tough jobs to do' right through to 'it's important that deaths are kept to a minimum; especially civilians'.

Whichever way you dice it up, it's not good when people die unnecessarily.

But then came the boiler. Cameras go and visit his parents. Lots of understandable sad faces and waving of photos. And the news that, so far, the family have received £3m (yes, three million pounds!) of compensation for the chap's death.

WTF are we doing? How much does the family of a British serviceman (or, more logically, locally employed British worker!) get when some savage blows them up or cuts their head off on camera? No amount of money can bring their son back, so why leave the family laughing all the way to the bank?

Shocked and appalled.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8146614.stm

I know everyone is against you, but I agree that British servicemens' families should be better looked after and at least as well as Iraqi civilians.

I don't think that anybody would disagree with that sentiment but it is often forgotten that their families mean as much to them as ours do to us.
We are the invaders after all & we have a responsibility to show that we are not as "savage" as they are.

V8Mate, thanks for acknowledging your error, does the lower level of compensation alter you view at all?
I must admit if you had been right about the amount I would have been as p'd off as you at the disparity.

[V8mate]

Sisyphus said:

V8Mate, thanks for acknowledging your error, does the lower level of compensation alter you view at all?
I must admit if you had been right about the amount I would have been as p'd off as you at the disparity.

Thanks for noticing

The (revised) news certainly took the pan off the boil!