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This is something I wrote a while back, but thought someone might find it interesting or thought provoking here: Monkey See, Monkey Do Iraq war veteran wins US primary An Iraq war veteran who lost both legs when her helicopter was shot down has won the chance to run for Congress in the US mid-term elections in November. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4834898.stm An American who was ANG running for Senate yippee I can here you all yell.. "and?". Well it got me thinking. After witnessing what was said about John Kerry during the 2004 Presidential elections, I was struck by how little some military even understood the nature of our service, let alone people who "support" or "protest" us. It started me wondering if this woman (as well as several other 'veterans' as Americans like to call them ever call me a veteran and I'll kick the crap out of you!) will be denounced as un-patriotic, peacenik or a coward. Or for her service record to be called into question by someone who once turned up for a couple of reservist weekends some time and then find other things to do when something kicked off. There is one trait of a Soldier (I will use this as an all-inclusive term for every service member) which is always missed or misunderstood by those who call for war, and those who protest against it We are apolitical. That does not mean that our personal political views aren't as strongly held as a Civilian; only that they must take second place to the Oath we took in the UK to HM Queen Elizabeth II, in the US case to defend the constitution. I personally do not consider those people who, through genuine political belief refuse to go somewhere like Iraq to be cowards. I am disappointed that intelligent, competent Soldiers refuse to serve on operations due to their personal political beliefs, but I can understand why they feel they are unable for reasons I hope come through in this blog. Something of a paradox I think many Soldiers will struggle with in their career. While I say that, I will not deny that some "service members" I use that phrase with some reluctance, do refuse to serve out of cowardice; although the difference with this latter group is that they are instantly obvious to another Soldier. These individuals are usually crap at their job anyhow and shouldn't be in uniform in the first place; and I for one prefer them NOT being there with their incompetence potentially threatening my life Good riddance. So, how did I feel about going to Iraq? (the most obvious example of having to do some serious soul-searching about deploying). Did I want to go? Yes. You are all obviously sitting there now thinking "ARE YOU MAD?" The only thing I can kind of relate this to is a Doctor. I would guess that most Doctors do not want people to be ill; but people are, and it is their chosen profession to want to fix the illness; I doubt that many surgeons would become so if they thought they'd never operate on someone. No sane person wants war, anymore than someone wants disease, but if there is one, a Soldier will want to go. It's the only way I can explain it. Did I think I should go? This sounds like a cop out, but I had no choice, and this, in my mind, is the crux of the issue. I had made my Oath, deciding if I should go or not was out of my hands. The democratically elected Government (which, however much I dislike it, they are, on both sides of the Atlantic.) told us to go. So we go. If some people want us to refuse that order because they don't like it, I can only assume that they wouldn't mind the military ignoring them as well and installing a military dictatorship. Why on earth would these people think we would ignore one bunch of civilians and pay attention to another I have no idea are they really that niave about how the world works? Was it a legal war? Here's the catch question. A Soldier IS allowed to refuse an illegal order such as being ordered to intentionally kill civilians or to destroy place of worship which is not being used as a firing point (if they use it as a firing point then they're fair game regardless where they are). But refuse an order to invade a country? Our leaders legal advisors said that it was legal. Is that enough? What if our leaders legal advisors declared the International Law of Armed Conflict was an illegal non-binding treaty? Would that make intentionally killing civilians a legal act? I would suggest, through my own morals and sense of right and wrong, it would not. Is the legal apparatus of a country (which, in the bleak harshness of reality, is always going to act in its own perceived interest proportional to how much international pressure they believe they can withstand) responsible enough to make those decisions? If not, who is? (the UN?) And who will police those laws? However much I believe in what the UN attempts to be, it is a toothless organisation that, due to its founding principles, has many flaws that do not allow it to exert its pressure on many countries especially against the wishes of the permanent members of the Security Council. I don't know the answers. I wish I did, and I'm sure the rest of the world did as well. So, do I think it was legal? No. Do I think it was illegal 'enough' to refuse to go? No. Gray and woolly that, I just really don't know the answers. We have an RAF officer being court marshalled here at the moment for refusing to deploy to Iraq and the judge has ruled that as their was two UN Mandates at the time of his order to deploy his orders were not illegal at that time. So, does that mean that if a Soldier disobeyed an order when their isn't a UN Mandate, he is within his rights as it is in fact an illegal order? Even though it comes from his Government? I'll leave this one for you all to ponder on. Was it right to go to Iraq? (I make this definition between doing the right thing and the legal thing, as often the two are not the same!) I am unashamedly idealist, and a supporter of international intervention. I will be clear about that from the start. In my ideal world we would destroy every corrupt (its comparative us in the west can't complain too loudly compared to many other places!) oppressive regime, every leader who thinks its acceptable to live in luxury while their people live in squalor and starve. We would intervene not because of diamonds or oil, but because it's the RIGHT THING TO DO. I have dreams or lofty ideals such as "freedom" or "democracy", those things come in time to people who can feed their families, have a solid roof over their heads, and basic healthcare. A man generally doesn't have time to worry about political science when he's struggling to feed his family. So, was invading Iraq the right thing to do? Yes. The timing sucked, and showed all the intelligence of a duck, I mean how hard is it to provoke a power hungry dictator into doing something really stupid? And THEN go and bomb the crap out of them. It didn't happen for the right reasons, we knew what he was doing to his people in the late 80's and early 90's yet we did nothing; but it was right to do something about Iraq, even if we did it late. You might see Iraqis complaining on the news that the electricity cuts out all the time if they were going hungry or thirsty I'm sure they wouldn't be complaining that their satellite TV (that they all have, regardless how poor they are meant to be) cut out during their favourite programme or that they can't charge their Thuraya mobile phone. And they don't get shot at (by their government or us anyhow) anymore when they protest that said electricity doesn't work. It is true that the news never shows the good stuff in Iraq, an Iraqi mob throwing petrol bombs at a Warrior IFV is far more entertaining obviously. So, there is a load of semi-random thoughts from a Soldier about Iraq. Maybe we're not as Monkey See, Monkey Do as some people would like to make out on both sides of the political divide. Maybe I just feel that those of us who have served our countries earned our right to question and criticise our goverments if we feel like it without our patriotism or courage ever being called into question. Have you?

Almost Time To Go Again..

Been back from Afghanistan for four months and already packing my kit again for my 3rd (although admittedly short this time) tour of Iraq. So I look at the society I'm supposedly going for.. Parents incapable of looking after their own children. Parents having more children regardless of the conditions and space they have to live in. Lazy complaining freeloaders that expect everything to be given to them on a plate. A goverment that can change the leadership of the country by a meeting of their inner-circle without any discussion with the public. A media that only complains and criticises what I do - and ignores our successes. With news days like the last few days - I wonder if British Society is worth me risking my life, worrying my family and being seperated from those I care about for. Why do I bother?

The First Post

More of hi rather than anything else. Might use this to make random whines, rants, voicing of my personal opinion and other venting about the general stupidity of 80% of the human population! Ian.
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