Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Gurka thoughts
Great that Gurka veterans came to Henley on Sunday to help our by-election campaign. Sorry though that I missed meeting them.
My dad fought beside Gurka troops in the Malaya Emergency (so-called) in the 1950’s and when he left Malaya the Gurkas presented him with one of their famous Kukri knives, which I believe is quite an honour.
Britain’s treatment of these ex-Servicemen (in terms of pensions and of UK citizenship rights) is disgraceful and we as a party must continue the campaign to change this.
A little story from my Dads wars. He was responsible for training the Malay army and one day led out a troop to set an ambush for insurgents. This was a live war, remember not some kind of exercise. Anyway they located their ambush point and settled in, deeply camouflaged lying down, and waited. Time passed. Suddenly, my Dad said, a hand went over his mouth, his head was pulled back, a sharp blade pressed against his throat…. And a familiar voice said in pleasant tones “Ah, Major Sahib!”. The Gurkas, out on a parallel patrol, had detected the ambush, but not been able to determine whether it was friendly or hostile and had therefore checked it out in their inimitable and intimate fashion.
Let me tell you, having handled one, that you seriously seriously do not want to be on the wrong end of a Kukri. A skilled Gurka with a sharp Kukri can cut off the head of a bull with one blow.
But above all if you must have a war, having the Gurkas with you is a huge advantage and a military honour and privilege. And these are the people who after their service ended we have treated as disposable items on a spreadsheet. .
My dad fought beside Gurka troops in the Malaya Emergency (so-called) in the 1950’s and when he left Malaya the Gurkas presented him with one of their famous Kukri knives, which I believe is quite an honour.
Britain’s treatment of these ex-Servicemen (in terms of pensions and of UK citizenship rights) is disgraceful and we as a party must continue the campaign to change this.
A little story from my Dads wars. He was responsible for training the Malay army and one day led out a troop to set an ambush for insurgents. This was a live war, remember not some kind of exercise. Anyway they located their ambush point and settled in, deeply camouflaged lying down, and waited. Time passed. Suddenly, my Dad said, a hand went over his mouth, his head was pulled back, a sharp blade pressed against his throat…. And a familiar voice said in pleasant tones “Ah, Major Sahib!”. The Gurkas, out on a parallel patrol, had detected the ambush, but not been able to determine whether it was friendly or hostile and had therefore checked it out in their inimitable and intimate fashion.
Let me tell you, having handled one, that you seriously seriously do not want to be on the wrong end of a Kukri. A skilled Gurka with a sharp Kukri can cut off the head of a bull with one blow.
But above all if you must have a war, having the Gurkas with you is a huge advantage and a military honour and privilege. And these are the people who after their service ended we have treated as disposable items on a spreadsheet. .
Labels: Army, Gurkas, honour, pensions
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Thursday, August 16, 2007
The privatisation of warfare and the overstreach of UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan
The question of private contractors engaging in military actions in Afghanistan and elsewhere raises a whole barrelful of issues.
The privatisation of warfare is something that needs urgent discussion. Who for example guards the guardians?
We didn’t get this debate at the time of the strange death of Colonel Westhusing, an US expert on military ethics who was deeply unhappy about the use of ‘Security Contractor’ companies in Iraq…. Of new relevance because of Westhusing’s previous work with General Petraeous, the current US Armed Forces commander in Iraq.
And the Iraq government is certainly now unhappy about the western ‘Private Military Companies’ – calling some of them ‘more dangerous than the (Iraqi faction) Militias’
Yes there is overstreach of the UK army combat units, the people who put their boots on the ground in areas they are likely to be shot at.
Of course we could go the route of a ‘mercenary army’ under Queens Regulations… raising more troops from Commonwealth countries for example. And does the claim by an unnamed Army Officer (reported in ‘The First Post’) that ‘1.5 million able bodied males in the UK refuse to work gainfully’ show a yearning for conscription?
The privatisation of warfare is something that needs urgent discussion. Who for example guards the guardians?
We didn’t get this debate at the time of the strange death of Colonel Westhusing, an US expert on military ethics who was deeply unhappy about the use of ‘Security Contractor’ companies in Iraq…. Of new relevance because of Westhusing’s previous work with General Petraeous, the current US Armed Forces commander in Iraq.
And the Iraq government is certainly now unhappy about the western ‘Private Military Companies’ – calling some of them ‘more dangerous than the (Iraqi faction) Militias’
Yes there is overstreach of the UK army combat units, the people who put their boots on the ground in areas they are likely to be shot at.
Of course we could go the route of a ‘mercenary army’ under Queens Regulations… raising more troops from Commonwealth countries for example. And does the claim by an unnamed Army Officer (reported in ‘The First Post’) that ‘1.5 million able bodied males in the UK refuse to work gainfully’ show a yearning for conscription?
Labels: Afghanistan, Army, Iraq, Mercenaries, Private Military Contractors
Comments:
Privatisation of the war machine is a serious issue. By hiding the real number of troops, they can prolong the violence.
Would you be willing to spread the word about www.draftresistance.org? It's a site dedicated to shattering the myths surrounding the selective slavery system and building mass civil disobedience to stop the draft before it starts!
Our banner on a website, printing and posting the anti-draft flyer or just telling friends would help.
Thanks!
Scott Kohlhaas
PS. When it comes to conscription, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Post a Comment
Would you be willing to spread the word about www.draftresistance.org? It's a site dedicated to shattering the myths surrounding the selective slavery system and building mass civil disobedience to stop the draft before it starts!
Our banner on a website, printing and posting the anti-draft flyer or just telling friends would help.
Thanks!
Scott Kohlhaas
PS. When it comes to conscription, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
