Did anyone see the Channel 4 documentary entitled “Squaddies on the Rampage” earlier in the week?
A very interesting program, and one that has provoked a serious reaction from the soverieign bases spokesperson (see Cyprus-mail.com wednesday edition).
The docu followed highly documented accounts of violent assaults and a rape-murder proven to have been commited by British soldiers off-duty in southern Cyprus during drinking binges.
The docu makers also went on to insinuate (?) that British troops retained a colonial-style “superiority” attitude while on tour in Cyprus, acting as if they were “above Cyprus laws.”
Naturally, it was shocking to see the photos of the holiday-rep who had been kidnapped, beaten, raped and then bludgeoned to death and left partially buried by three drunk squaddies.
Indeed, one of these very squaddies was supposedly meant to have been under barracks-arrest having brutally slashed a British tourist in the face with broken glass only 4 weeks earlier.
Why was such a dangerous man allowed to walk free and get drunk again? What kind of discipline does the British Army enforce among its own troops?
Is this an isolated incident, or do squaddies have a reputation for disgracing the flag under the influence of beer?
By: Hand87_5 - 14th July 2003 at 17:07
Fair point !
By: Moggy C - 14th July 2003 at 16:50
I’m sorry to pop up and state the blindingly obvious, but if you take young people at an impressionable age and give them lessons in how to kill people you can’t really expect that ‘out of hours’ and under the influence of drink, they won’t tend to offer violence to others.
I should imagine an army composed of pacifist buhddists would be much less trouble in peacetime, but when they were needed to perform the function we pay them for they would be about as much use as a chocolate teapot.
That’s life.
Moggy
By: David Burke - 13th July 2003 at 11:32
Icarus – get your map book out and see if North America includes the U.S.A ?
By: Icarus - 13th July 2003 at 02:56
Where? In Canada?
-Canada does not occupy nations.
-Canada sings bilateral defence pacts with nations (NORAD) as a free and sovreign nation, not as a ‘clause’ for it receiving deserved independence.
-Canada honours it’s signatures, does Britain?
By: David Burke - 12th July 2003 at 13:13
Icarus – I guess the Imperialist North American forces there too have escaped your attention??
By: Icarus - 12th July 2003 at 07:52
Alex, Britian’s appropriation (read occupation) of large chunks of that small island for their imperialist military bases should have been ended long ago.
By: ukmams - 11th July 2003 at 17:34
Try loading a tracked rapier onto a herc with 1 inch clearance each side and a peed up squaddie called wolf who wants to be everones’ friend driving….!
Who says drunk squaddies are bad uns.
:p
snotty
By: alex - 11th July 2003 at 14:16
Why when Britain has territory there it needs to protect?
Sorry but this program did not show anything which was purely British. It is a problem whcih every nation has to deal with, after all soldiers are just people with a seriously stressful job.
Did anyone watch “Soldati” a while ago – not sure of spelling – about Russias recruits and squaddies? I didn’t notice anything which was out of place from virtually every other armed forces.
These docu’ makers mustn’t do much research if they think the problems in Russias army lie just in Russias army.
By: Icarus - 10th July 2003 at 03:21
What makes it even more vexing is that British troops should be the hell out of Cyprus yesterday.
By: Sauron - 10th July 2003 at 01:18
Well I agree with Hand and Mongu. The Canadian army has had similar crimes commited by members as well. The only thing we can hope for is that when these crimes happen , proper action is taken.
Regards
Sauron
By: mongu - 9th July 2003 at 20:26
There is a growing feeling that military discipline is not very good. The spate of suicides added to this Cpyrus thing paints a disturbing picture.
By: Hand87_5 - 9th July 2003 at 19:53
You know , it might be an isolated incident and I’m affraid that some elements in every army of the world behave the same.
A shame anyway 🙁
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July 9, 2003 at 7:04 pm