A profound dis-service to troops serving on the ground..?

Question

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6449227.stm
QUOTE : "In delivering his verdict, Mr Walker said: "The attack on the convoy amounted to an assault. "It was unlawful because there was no lawful reason for it and in that respect it was criminal." Four other soldiers were injured in the attack near Basra. No American witnesses gave evidence at the inquest and the coroner was critical of the failure of the US authorities to co-operate. "I believe that the full facts have not yet come to light," said the Oxford assistant deputy coroner. The US pilots should have flown lower to confirm identities before opening fire, he added. "I don't think this was a case of honest mistake."

MY QUESTION based on MANY facts of war relates to this CULTURE OF CONCEALMENT.
In the case above, this is NOT a witch-hunt. It was not a criminal court. The US and MoD were asked to co-operate.

Why don't they? When things go wrong - why conceal vital info when media have FULL access in the theatre? Wher's Sense

Vital information could have been given to Coroners/Judges "in camera" so they have FULL possession of the facts to make a sound judgement

Answer 1

Both the military and the media have shown their propensity to conceal relevant information and to lie.

This is not the exception, it is the unfortunate standard in a nation that has willingly given up freedoms in favor of the gulag and repression felt necessary by the privledged classes threatened with change.

Nazis thought they were patriots too.

Answer 2

This war was suspect from the start when you look at it in hind sight. We live in a culture of concealment because only the dignified, responsible, reputable and of course honest people who need supposedly to be elected in a supposed democracy (whatever that society is prepared to tolerate under that definition), ...therefore it is not possible for the government to be honest or open. If find most companies are not honest and open anymore. For the same reasons. How did our society get into this state ? You can see it in your answers. "It's not important". I don't know whether to laugh or cry. The death of this soldier was remarkably important to this family and to his widow. What a stupid thing to say. It may have happened before as an accident in battle, but the Coroner said, "I don't think this was a case of honest mistake." I agree, it may not be important to half wits but we are now living under a tyranny.

Answer 3

considering the Yanks propensity for hitting any target but the enemy and the cowboy attitude taken by most of their armed services when dealing with any other people the attack was not a surprise. The fact that as usual the Yanks have refused to have any of the guilty parties come and at least apologise is also not a surprise as they spent many years covering for road traffic accidents by military personnel, some fatal, by the station chief making the journey a military one. We should never have put our troops into Iraq and should be out tomorrow.

Answer 4

It's strange, and while it is bad for the folks of this soldier, what of the public debate and outcry for the 100,000 + people murdered in Iraq as a result f this invasion, by insurgements on the ground, ie freedom fighters, and troops from other countries.

Are they just less in value because they are not English, American r European, and this is what comes across to our brothers in the Arab and Asian states.

You know, and looking at the emergence of China and India, with Iraq and Iran following, if they ever throw the shackles of the West off, and with the rest of the Arab and Asian countries joining in together, the West might just rue the day they treated these people like dirt.

What goes around comes around, and adding to the favour, what of the many millions of black, Arab and Asain people in Western countries, and it's no wonder the West wants to westernise them, what if they rsie up internally, especially the repressed black people in America, my God how the West would burn.

Answer 5

Its an attempt to protect the soldiers involved. And if I read the article correctly - the coroner was given the full video - the Oxford assistant deputy coroner was not the first coroner to exam the bodies - it was the army coroner in Basra.

So I think the oxford dude just wanted to get his face in the media.

Answer 6

It's no big thing

It's an all volunteer Army if you don't want to be killed by friendly fire don't join.

These issues are covered in basic training. Recruits that quiver at the thought of being disemboweled are typically ushered out in the first couple weeks of training.

The Army is a place to die not a social group. Every single member of the Army is marking time until their death.

Go big Red Go

Answer 7

One tends to avoid giving information to ones enemy, which is what the Liberal press has become to the military.