Who agrees that its great that you can be captured, put up no resistance, then fold at the first opportunity?

Question

.... and still make a lot of money by selling your story to the press despite everyone coming to your aid in order to secure your release?

In the meantime your comrades are still coming home in coffins and their families will get didly squat ......

Well done sailors, you wont believe how much in high regard I hold you (should I end my sarcasm here?)

Answer 1

Name, Rank, social security number. Enough said.
Do not aid the enemy even in the realm of propaganda. I've never been a prisoner of war but that is what we are all taught in the military and I would hope I could live up to it. You hear about people like John MCain and what he went through in Vietnam being captive, these British sailors didn't even come close to that kind of suffering and they folded.

Answer 2

Questioner, you're an idiot.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070406/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_britain

"Appearing a day after being flown home to reunions with their families, the eight sailors and seven marines reported undergoing constant psychological pressure and being threatened with seven years in prison if they did not say they intruded into Iranian waters.

They said their captors also lined them up against a wall one night to the ominous sound of weapons cocking behind their heads.

"All of us were kept in isolation. We were interrogated most nights and presented with two options: If we admitted that we'd strayed, we'd be on a plane to (Britain) pretty soon. If we didn't, we faced up to seven years in prison," he said."

Isolation and sleep deprivation alone are no joke, when applied by professionals. Try telling the world what kind of hero you are to cast judgement on the 15. Any and all of you who cast judgement, tell the world about your story as a POW, and just how you ended up on the Royal Navy's inquest with access to full information on what REALLY happened.

How many times have you put YOUR life on the line in the Middle East? Try explaining that one.

EDIT: These people are British military, not American. "Name, Rank, SSN" does NOT apply. Furthermore, not everyone is "taught" how to be a POW. The American military has SERE school for that, and it's restricted to pilots, those who fall under USASOC, and others who are at high risk of capture.

I can't EVER recall a "how to be a POW" briefing being held in YEARS. And I've sat through the obligatory unit SAEDA briefings, etc etc. The closest we've come to training for capture is when we're OPFOR and captured by BLUEFOR - but that's training BLUEFOR on procedures for processing detainees, NOT how to resist interrogation.

It's very, very easy to say "Hey, if it was me, I would have been a hero and broken out of that Iranian prison and freed my comrades" or some other such nonsense. SHUT IT.

Answer 3

First of all, have you ever even served your country in the Armed Forces? If not, you really need to shut your mouth!

I, myself, served our country for 6 years. I served 3 years in the Army Reserves before deciding to go active duty and I joined the U.S. Marine Corps for three more years.

It is generally taught that U.S. forces are to resist being taken POW. However, it is generally left up to the senior officer or NCO to make the decision to surrender or fight. Having seen that the 15 British sailors and marines were severely outnumbered and outgunned when they were approached by the Iranians, I believe that the right choice was made. It is never an easy decision for a fighting man to make, but I would have to commend him for his actions in keeping those in his charge alive.

If you think what our fighting men and women is easy, than I challenge you to make a trip to your local recruiting office. I'm sure you'll find that they have plenty of room for you.

Answer 4

I was always taught that you hold out as long as possible. Then you only give away small bits of not very important information. Maybe they teach different these days. While I will agree that life is a sweet thing, when you sign your name on the dotted line, you agree to die for your country, or king, or whatever it is that rules you. You also agree to act and abide by a certain standard and anything less is punishable by UCMJ (uniform code of military justice.) I don't think they made a good faith effort at resistance, I don't think they met the standards, and I don't think they care. A little pressure was all it took to get them to cave. No wonder there is a good chance of losing this war with allies like that.

Answer 5

My question is this.. what is there worth writing about? Did the Iranians deny them tea in the afternoon? Did they force them to see a dentist? Make them walk stooped over? Might as well write a book about the time was thrown in the Tijuana drunk tank.

Answer 6

I think that their government/military leaders forbade them to resist or fight when the Iranians boarded their vessel. What kind of message does that send?

Answer 7

Liberalism is invading all aspects of this war. I say let our fighting men and women do what they have been trained to do. The enemy doesn't fear us. Lets give them fear.

Answer 8

y don't u join in the next boat ride. it's easy to judge a situation if your not there

Answer 9

At least their book deals will encourage others to encroach on other sovereign territory.

Answer 10

Have to be democraps.