Guilty or Scapegoats?

Soldiers found guilty of abuse to appeal?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4378155.stm

Now call me cynical, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were freed on appeal.

Was their prosecution just a political move to try show the critics how their behaviour would not be tolerated - even though, perhaps, this kind of thing is not really so unusual at all?

[allieyoung666]

I thought they were acting under orders????

Originally Posted by allieyoung666

I thought they were acting under orders????

I think that's what the powers-that-be wanted to deny through the prosecutions, but I think that'll be the focus of the appeal.

[allieyoung666]

See the goverment again trying to cover up another scam!!

[Pierre]

It's dispicable,

You send you lads out to fight in war of dubious intent.

They shot at, bombed, they see their friends killed, their lives are at risk every day.

They take out some retribution on the prisoners they take. I'm not excusing what they did, but I can understand emotions running high.

Then they are prosecuted by the very same people that put them into that position. It's not on.

Government scams and cover ups???

Never!

Considering there where confused verbal orders from their CO to ''go hard on the looters'', and similar orders handed out by the Senior NCO, I believe the guilty verdict is a pile of crap. The fact then the Officer Commanding these men recieved no form of repramand, for issuing illegal orders, shows that the old boy network is alive and well within the British Army.

Having said that, the Other Ranks responsible for these abuses should have said NO to the orders given that iniated the abuse. Its a difficult line to walk in the Army, where the *Chain of Command* is the penultimate decider of a soldiers actions. Disobey a *dodgy* order and be Court Martialed, follow a *dodgy* order and be Court Martialed.

Actually I understand the soldiers involved had training in dealing with POWs etc, isn't this part of the court record, and they should have known what is right and what is wrong. It is not acceptable to say I was only following orders. Prisoner abuse is unacceptable. I understand they had been put into difficult and extraordinary circumstances but prisoners should be treated humanely and not abused. UK soldiers have a duty to show they are not like Saddam Hussein's murderers and abusers but must show by example. The officer who gave the original order probably didn't expect what actually happened and should have in any case taken a closer interest in what was going on.

Originally Posted by Gogogo

Actually I understand the soldiers involved had training in dealing with POWs etc, isn't this part of the court record, and they should have known what is right and what is wrong. It is not acceptable to say I was only following orders. Prisoner abuse is unacceptable. I understand they had been put into difficult and extraordinary circumstances but prisoners should be treated humanely and not abused. UK soldiers have a duty to show they are not like Saddam Hussein's murderers and abusers but must show by example. The officer who gave the original order probably didn't expect what actually happened and should have in any case taken a closer interest in what was going on.

Unless the officer is incompitent, then it is in his best interests to ensure that the men under his command clearly understand their orders. Its is also a commanders responsiblity to *know* what the men under his command are doing. These mens CO gave an order to ''work them hard'' (I believe this is the wording, but I could be wrong), for 24 hours and then cut them loose. Most likely thhis order was passed to the SNCO of the unit, who then passed on the order to whichever JNCO's would be incharge of the sections dealing with the Iraqi prisoners. IMO, the CO should heave been in the dock facing a Courts Martial, in the same way as the Other Ranks.

Originally Posted by Pierre

It's dispicable,

You send you lads out to fight in war of dubious intent.

They shot at, bombed, they see their friends killed, their lives are at risk every day.

They take out some retribution on the prisoners they take. I'm not excusing what they did, but I can understand emotions running high.

Then they are prosecuted by the very same people that put them into that position. It's not on.

So well said

How about guilty (subject to appeal) and scapegoats?