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Originally Posted by Maggy J
Really? This is what you did when you were in the armed forces?This is what you expect from your son?
And to say that they all deserve to have the Geneva convention articles overturned because SOME of the population hide behind their citizens...Frankly I'm appalled if you think this is acceptable behaviour...
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First of all Maggy, that is an unfair reply to my post.
My post began with the word "Unfortunately".
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Unfortunately there are, & always will be occasions where civilians are killed, because they are either in the line of fire, or, used as a shield. A soldiers priority is the preservation of his or her own life, & that of their comrades.Urban tactics, are quite different to open tactics, & any group who uses Urban Warfare as their battleground is committing its civilian population to extreme danger.
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I made no mention of the Geneva Convention, nor did I say at any time that this was Acceptable behavior. I am simply posting from experience.
Like it or not, what I posted is, "The way it is". Irrespective of the "rights & wrongs" of the situation, thats how it is. All professional Armies adopt the same attitude.
I make any comments based on my knowledge & service, in the British Army. I can not speak for the Israeli Army's "Rules of engagement" during the Gaza conflict. The allegations made are damming, &, if true, need investigating. I certainly believe a conscript army is capable of such behavior, & I condemn it.
I can say that when on street patrol, & you come under fire from a sniper at a bedroom window, you return fire. Not to do so would lead to friendly casualties. What do you do? If you hesitate, your simply a target. If you run, your a moving target. Surrender, and your an easy target.
Or do you fire back, Not knowing if there are civilians in the room? In reality, you don't even have time to think. Your training kicks in & you return fire. Exactly the same in the field, shots ring out, movement ahead, target, you open fire, if you miss your target the round doesn't just stop, it carries on. If there are civvies out of sight your round could easily kill them.
Its easy to sit back, to judge & condemn, its not easy when your, & your mens lives are on the line, & I am defiantly not condoning civilian casualties, I am saying, it happens.
If it was proved that a civilian was targeted, for no reason other than he or she was in the area, then that would be a criminal act, & the full weight of the law should be invoked.
I expect my son (s), & every other service man or woman, to conduct them selfs, with the professionalism expected of a trained British soldier. I expect them to perform their duties in exactly the same way the other services perform theirs, to the best of their ability.
These tactics have been developed over a long time, & until something better comes along, they will remain. Modern urban warfare is quite clean in relation to 60 years ago, when large numbers of civilians were killed indiscriminately.
I do not know anyone who has seen war, say they like it. It is the most horrific, degrading, & shameful experience you can imagine. It shows that people can be the most destructive, evil, & murderous, of all animals.
Warfare is a rotten, dirty job. But someones got to do it.