You are right, not really comparable. Lets be clear I don't agree with dispatching unarmed combatants (but I don't know what happened prior to the act), and I don't think anyone else does either. There were two error's of judgement, the act itself and also keeping a recording of it. What I meant by the " tour comment" is I think this should have been dealt with internally and not splashed across the news,( I presume they still have military prisons if a sentence is warranted) . They never really big up what a good job the vast majority of guy's and lasses are doing in very difficult situations.
I don't agree. I think the general population is under no illusions that the Forces are doing an extremely difficult job very professionally and bravely, and I think it is grateful. I also think that many, if not most people, think we are wasting our time, money and lives in Afghanistan, but I don't think you'll find that criticism extends to the people who are actually sent there. I also think that the actions of this particular soldier undermine some of that goodwill and make life harder for his comrades in arms. I think it disappoints the nation which wants to be at least sure that even if our actions abroad are ultimately pointless, at least there was something noble about the intention.
I thought it was a court marshal....is that not internal enough.? ..no civvys allowed in there(Pete please correct if I am wrong). I suppose its best to keep it all quiet so no one knows about it, but then people will think he's getting away with murder. If its public and open those of us back in civvy street will be reassured that we don't have a military that is given free reign to do whatever they feel like as they do in some African countries.
No. The last military prison (Shepton Mallet) was closed in the 1960s. The MCTC (Military Corrective Training Centre) at Colchester is suitable only for sentences up to 2 years maximum. It is not suitable for life sentences, nor for murderers - they are always transferred to civilian prisons.
Hearings of the Court Martial are normally open to the public and press, in exactly the same way as Crown Court hearings. In a few cases, parts of the trial might be held in camera (i.e. in private) for special reasons such as national security - again just like a Crown Court. Soldiers are subject to all the ordinary laws of England and Wales, and always have been; they have never had 'free reign'.
For information: The Court Martial Appeal Court (also sitting as the Divisional Court of the Queens Bench Division) today released its judgment(s). The names of Marine A (a.k.a. Sgt Blackman), B and C were to be published. D and E remitted to the Court Martial for further consideration. http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/media/judgments/2013/r-v-marines-a-b-c-d-e
So it appears ex-Sgt Blackman has applied for leave to appeal to the Court Martial Appeal Court against both conviction and sentence. It is not obvious what the grounds for this might be. BBC News - Jailed marine launches murder appeal
If you are going to go roaming round the world prosecuting wars that don't have anything to do with you, on the basis that you have appointed yourself "world policeman" then those involved have to conduct themselves accordingly. Such things have happened before eg, when the Americans liberated Belsen, but that was almost 70 years ago.
Well it was, but I meant a camp where the Yanks went in and retribution took place.........A lot of it was caught on colour film but I have only ever seen it once..............maybe it was a bit too sensitive.
Belsen was liberated by British forces, Dachau by Americans and Auschwitz by Russians. Many of the guards and many of the inmates died soon after liberation, mainly of Typhus and other diseases, but some were shot out of hand. So what? Does that have any relevance whatever to the instant case?
All the mitigating and aggravating circumstances of the offence were supposedly pleaded before the Court Martial before sentencing, and taken into account at that time. Unless the offender alleges, as a ground of appeal, that some relevant point was not placed before the court, or was not properly taken into account. Good luck with that one, Mr Blackman.
I think you are probably correct..............trying to recall the film footage, I can remember weather-boarded huts and no brick built ones; and the film had a blue-ish cast.
I haven't seen the images, but I was recently reading about Dachau. The whole story of the Holocaust is a disgusting stain in the history of the universe and I wish people would remember what led to it happening... Tiny steps towards socially acceptable persecution and irresponsible voting by a populace swayed on sensationalist policies, despite obvious racist party overtones. ( Nothing like supporting the BNP, the recent uproar over Romanians and anti-European bigotry.)
You mean like taking peoples private liberties Tom...and having neighbour and agencies spy on each other.. Funny how we seem to completely miss that this still occurs in most of the world, its just Europe we don't have as much of the ethnic cleansing any more. People like people like them
