I would hazard a guess that you have never served in the armed forces. I have, I served in the RMs. You wouldn't have a clue what war is like, so just shut it because you don't know what you are talking about. Im not suggesting for one minute that it was right, but our lads have been under enormous pressure and having seen their mates blown up by these people, this happened. There are a lot of damaged personnel who have come back from that shyte hole with the most horrendous injuries and seeing those can turn a blokes mind set.
So ****ing what? There are rules in war, those rules were broken. He's a cowardly **** and I he has got exactly what he deserves. As would any other soldier committing crimes in war. My Great Grandfather was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Second World War, so don't try and take the ****ing moral high ground. He was killed right at the end of the war and is buried in Holland. These are the real heroes, he was involved in freeing POWS from Belsen. Little ****ing ****s like this piece of **** want hanging from the rafters. I couldn't give a **** if you served with the boys brigade or the majorettes, there are rules to abide by, he had rules, and HE KNEW exactly what he was doing. So it means it was pre meditated, so he has to take his medicine.
it makes you sick to live in a society where our brave soldiers put their life on the line day in day out but know in the back of their minds that they can be put in the dock for doing their duty- murder is murder and i dont want to condone that but there is a difference from what those filth scum sucking pieces of **** did to Lee rigby ( even now pleading not guilty-whats that bollocks all about?) and making a judgement call on what Alex Blackman did- do we know what pressure these soldiers are under-how may guys and girls come back from god knows where with damaged minds and have to fight with MOD just to recognise their PTSD was caused by their experiences in the service to their country. Its easy to make a judgement call in the warmth of your front room but was it so easy for Lee Clegg ?- you see a car running through a check point in northern Ireland he might be a kid joyriding or maybe the car is stuffed full of cemtex and your mates and the local women and kids could be blown to kingdom come? Rant over!
Not really, he broke the law. He knew he had broken it as he was caught on on the helmet camera saying so. Servicemen have rules to abide by when they enter combat zones, plain and simple. His actions make him no better than the people he was fighting against. It was proved he wasn't suffering any combat stress disorder. There was an ex serviceman interviewed, who is now a barrister. His opinion, considering his background, was that the soldier was guilty as charged.
I imagine that unless you have endured the experience of mortal combat it's difficult to comprehend how someone's mind works when under extreme pressure, stress, anxiety, trauma etc. Don't think there is anyone on this thread who disputes the bare facts of the case- just the extent of the extenuating circumstances, and the impact it has on the accused (and others like him). What are your thoughts on the death penalty for deserters in WW1?
There's thousands of servicemen who serve within the rules of the law, there's thousands that face similar circumstances to Alex Blackman - but they don't do what he did. I know the circumstances must be horrific, it still doesn't justify his actions. He tried claiming that the circumstances contributed, but that was proved not to be the case by psychiatrists, he wasn't suffering any ill effects associated with war. Deserters shouldn't have been shot either, signing up should have been personal choice.
Perhaps the deserters were deeply traumatised, shell-shocked, suffering from mental conditions brought about by experiencing near-death on an almost daily and nightly basis? It's not as simple as 'obeying the rules' or 'applying the law'.
Sorry for sticking my oar in here but I know some ex-servicemen with experience in Afghanistan and they've all told me this goes on quite regularly. In one case an officer summarily executed two Taliban with Brummie accents after first enquiring whether there was a shovel handy. Fact.
Oh ****, didn't you know, they were simply carrying out there duties as 'soldiers'. It sickens me to see that they're sat in a court whilst being allowed by the authorities to cover their heads with a blanket, if it was down to me they wouldn't have a head, live by the sword, die by the sword!
You can stick 2 fingers up to the establishment after this......fight for this country...you must be ****ing joking...
That's the thing, his family will now suffer because of the ridiculous decision to name him. There's plenty of extremists operating in the UK, an eye for an eye they always say, they WILL target the family. It sickens me that some 'people' just don't seem to care. These things should be kept well out of the public eye anyway, they get blown to all proportions and will only antagonise the enemy further.
I was wondering when this would raise its ugly head. He had a fair trial, it was closely scrutinised and the verdict is guilty; I can see nothing to disagree with. He knew the rules, he was very well trained and he had more than adequate experience. His was deliberate murder that would have incensed the Top Brass as he was a highly respected senior rank who chose to use that rank and respect to encourage and commit murder, at the same time embroillng his comrades in his own crime. It's indefensible, it's also very sad. What made him a murderer under those conditions I do not know, but I know (and not think) that in my experience, I am pleased to argue that he is the exception. If there are more then bring them to justice. The British Army I served was the best, the British Army he served in is the best; this sentence will go a long way to keeping it that way and stopping the son and daughters entering the forces from following his example and becoming cold blooded murderers, rather than highly trained and disciplined killers. I believe he now truely regrets his actions, perhaps some should review their posts - ultimately we all fought to maintain an acceptable level of civilisation, Sgt Blackman fell well short of this simple goal.
