Why do we know about.....

[Goodsoulette]

When guys in the forces do something "wrong" whilst at war why do get to hear about it?

Take this Iraqi soldier abuse, I understand that it is no way to behave but I just think that we (the general public) know too much and that what goes on out there should stay out there. These guys are tried for their crimes differently I assume because a "normal" court cant understand the kind of pressures and influences these boys are under, so should these things stay out of the papers except under exceptional circumstances?

I am open to changing my mind, I just want to know what good people think it serves for us to know about it.

[Ward-Minter]

PS set the pool table up.

[Goodsoulette]

im there now lovey

[Xollob]

My girlfriend's father, a German, was captured at the end of WW2 at the age of 17. He passed through British and American POW camps before spending four years in French captivity in North Africa. He was treated as a human being throughout and even experienced the occasional kindness. Now, more than 60 years after the event, he bears no grudge against his captors; on the contrary.

Now think of the poor sods beaten senseless by British thugs in Iraq. What will they think in 60 years' time? And who can blame them.

[flashpig]

Some interesting points from Xollob.

What's changed in 60 years?

The Nazis were set on world domination too and some might consider them to be possibly as evil as the muslims. Some might actually believe their acts as bad as the muslims. Why the difference in treatment?

[Booldawg]

News on UK/US troops abusing Iraqi civilians is very 'media friendly' and sensationally tabloid. That is why tomes of information, discussion and opinion appear in our newspapers each day when this type of, lets be fair, isolated abuse occurs. You may also get a small footnote mentioning that an allied forces soldier has died in a mortar attack, but thats not important.

[LovelyLouise]

Unless your actually there, under the circumstances our soldiers are facing every single day, I dont think we could possibly begin to realise how It Is for them out there. Im not for one minute saying that these Beatings of Iraqi soldiers are justified...... not a t all...... but you dont know whats "behind" the Images we have seen......they may have just seen one of their colleagues blown to pieces by a thrown Bomb....... had some colleagues Beaten up beyond recognition...... Im sure the same thing, If not much worse, goes on with the Iraqi soldiers with our soldiers etc. Two wrongs definately dont make a right..... but we cant possibly judge

[Gnisy]

So.. what you're saying is.. because they see the people they fight with get killed everyday.. and because they have to face death and destruction on a daily basis..

that when they beat up kids and unarmed citizens.. because of these daily pressures..

that we cannot and should not judge them on what they did..

because we are not soldiers..

because we are not them...

because we don't invade other people's country in an effort to save them from themselves...

so if any of these circumstances were to occur, we should be kept in the dark about it and go about our daily lives, smelling the sweet roses and have our biggest worries in the form of what we should be having for dinner and what colour toothbrush should I get next..

is that what you're asking?

That's a hell of a question. Let me know when you find out.