inkRE: Favourite Book
Just been reading Alan Clarke’s “Barbarossa”. It’s quite thoroughly researched but leaves a lot of detail out (particularly the Crimean campaign). However, I am impressed because he is one of the authors of Eastern Front history who sn’t afraid to blame the German generals for some of the mistakes. He certainly takes chunks out of Paulus.
Favourite book of all time: War and Peace – Tolstoy.
Also, I quite enjoyed “A Hero of Our Time” – Lermontov.
inkRE: What Languages do you speak?
Serbian, which conveniently allows me to be able to read (with intensive dictionary use) Czech, Slovak and Russian, possibly Polish too but I’ve never tried. As long as the text isn’t too technical.
English. Goes without saying at this forum, surely? 🙂
I learned French and Italian at school but both have atrophied significantly and the days when I could haggle in Italian are long gone.
I’m fascinated by languages and plan to leard Russian, German, Spanish and improve my Italian.
inkRE: International criminal court.US do not any par
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 13-05-02 AT 04:23Â PM (GMT)]The rationale is that if the US signed up to an international court which could have the power to indict anyone then maybe a US serviceman or even politician might be at the receiving end. Lets face it, the one nation that has been involved (to some degree) in practically every war since WWII is the US – it would hardly come as a surprise if some of the US citizens who functioned as part of that involvement were criminals of one kind or another. What’s really worrying, however, is that some case might go the very top (and Milosevic isn’t setting a very good precedent for that).
inkRE: The European Union bar code……..
I’ve always thought the Union Jack (the British flag) should be modernised with a small “stars and stripes” in the top left corner (British colonies have a Union Jack in the same place).
inkRE: Oscar in the Med
I am no expert in naval matters but I would like to add my €0.02 (two cents) worth.
One, correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t carriers for power projection? I don’t think the Agean is big enough to require a carrier to project airpower over it. Wouldn’t some long range fighters be more useful (certainly that’s what the Veitnamese seem to be thinking). Unless Greece and Turkey have ambitions elsewhere in the Mediterranian? No? Then why the hell do they need expensive, maintainance intensive, support intensive aircraft carriers?
Two, would Greece not benefit more from having some nice, quiet subs? Isn’t that the approach Iran is taking in the Persian Gulf?
Three, isn’t the M2K going to require a steam-catapult to take off from a carrier? Wouldn’t it be counter productive to run an expensive steam-catapult carrier?
inkRE: eastern sniper comparison- PART -2
JAG,
Thanks. You’re right, it isn’t the photo I had in my book and I think that the bipod design looks different too. The one I saw was mounted much closer to the receiver (just forward of the wooden grip). I will be in Belgrade in a couple of weeks time so if you can be bothered to remind me, I’ll bring my book back and scan some pics in for you.
inkRE: Kosovo
Seahawk,
“The only train incident I know of, was the one with the
released targeting video, which shows that a bridge was
targeted, when suddenly a train appears on the bridge a
second before impact. That is a tragedy for the involved
people, but not a deliberate attack. At least not of the
pilot flying the plane.” – Actually, NATO later admitted that the video had been speeded up by a factor of three. Upon hearing this, Newsnight (here in the UK) played the original video at 1/3 of the speed and it was plainly obvious that the train was travelling slowly enough for the pilot to see it in time to avoid bombing it. The fact that he went round and bombed it again I think proves that it was a war crime in the true sense of the phrase. Interestingly, the admission came just after the publishing of the Human Rights Watch report which cleared NATO of any war crimes.
“The Chinese embassy is something completely different. I
think that it was deliberately targeted, but the Chinese
tried something that could have influenced the war. So it
something what I would call grey zone.” – A nation’s embassy in another country is legally and officially it’s own territory. Therefore, China was bombed without warning nor a decleration of war. Not only that but it is largely staffed by civilians and as such it was illegal to attack it according laws set out by the Geneva Convention (which states that it is a war crime to attack any object containing civilians even if military personel are also present).
“I never thought about the legal points to the war. The moral
viewpoint is very difficult for me to judge, as living in a
EU country I was filled up with TV stories of dead albanians
etc. I think I´m much too far away to make any moral
judgement on any side of the war.” – I’m glad you recognise the dangers of basing your opinion on the media and on NATO and government statements (which can be classed as propaganda).
“Nevertheless I think the war was wrong from a political
viewpoint. As far as I understand going to war to bring
peace to a region means having a plan for after the war. But
what we have now, is a Kosovo which can´t be returned to the
serbian/montenegro state, but also can´t be given to Albania
or be independent. This peace of land is a base for
criminals (and terrorists) that operate in nearly all
western countries. They sparked the trouble in Macedonia and
I´m sure they will try to spread more trouble in the future.
(That is when NATO withdraws) If Western politicians do not
see that only strong neighbours (read Macedonia and
Serbia/Montenegro) will be the way to stopp the aggession.
Otherwise we might see a fundamentalistic muslem country in
Europe in 10 years.” – I agree, although it appears that you’re viewing the war as one started with peace in mind. I don’t think that was the case. If you followed the Rambouillet Conference closely you will understand what I mean.
“I have very different opinions on Slovenia and partly
Croatia as well. There I would say a great part of the
aggression lay with the serbian troops / paras. But I won´t
make any judgement on who did wrong and what, as I´m too far
away from the actual happenings.” – I think that (if you’re interested) you should study the events leading up to the conflict more. I beleive that this will show that both sides were to blame for the war and neither side was essentially an “agressor”.
“I hope you understand my point of view.” – I think I do and I am glad that you chose to express it.
inkRE: Kosovo
Seahawk,
No, you’re right, I don’t beleive that hospitals, old people’s homes etc were hit deliberatly. However, I am almost certain that a train was bombed while crossing a bridge because it was thought to be carrying troops. Likewise, in Kosovo, a coach full of civillians was bombed because it was thoght to be carrying troops (though god knows why the ambulance that was first to arrive on the scene was bombed). I know that a Chinese embassy was hit, almost certainly on purpose (old maps? The map the CIA claimed to have used shows no building on that site). I know for a fact that producers, reporters, make-up ladies and camera crews were killed on purpose – a war crime surely?
Besides, if you beleive, as I do, that the entire campaign was illegal morally and according to international law, then any deaths that result from it are war crimes. I blame NATO for the death of every single soldier (largely conscripts or professionals fighting for their country against terrorism) and every civillian. I will never forgive them the deaths of the 100+ children who died or for the thousands who were traumatised by the 78 day experience.
inkRE: Favourite Band?
Peppers
‘Phonics
Gomez
Travis
Dylan
Marley
Springsteen
Sting
Bajaga (Cheesy Yugoslav ’80s pop)
Serbian Narodna Music
David Grey
…. etc etc. Can’t be bothered with an extensive list… too boring.
inkRE: Kosovo
There were more than just hospitals damaged, it was old people’s homes, maternity clinics etc. There’s no point in arguing about that though, they were all “mistakes” }>.
Anyway, like I said, both our nations have blood on their hands and there is little point in an argument over whose nation killed how many or deported how many etc. In my house in Belgrade we rented our flat out to several families of refugees (not at the same time obviously) from Bosnia and Croatia for the last eight years. I’m pretty sure you don’t want me to recount the horror stories I heard from them. I certainly would rather avoid telling them as it is very emotional. Likewise, I have no desire to hear the things you will probably tell me Serb troops or paramilitaries did. I know terrible things were done by all sides and I simply don’t need to hear it all again if it’s all the same. Please lets not get into a debate about it all.
One final thing. The NATO intervention in Yugoslavia in ’99 had nothing to do with morals, international law, human rights or justice. It was an attack on the Serbian nation, it’s armed forces, it’s industry and it’s population. It’s aim (which has been acheived) was to make Serbia listen and behave – like all the other states of eastern Europe. We were just stupid enough to defy NATO for long enough to make them pretty damn angry.
inkRE: eastern sniper comparison…
Take your time mate. Besides, I think I might have some in a book about the Yugoslav Kalashnikov derivatives – problem is that’s in Belgrade.
inkRE: Kosovo
I’m surprised to hear you say that Hawk. Don’t you think they should have acted when Tudjman thought it would be nice to have an ethnically pure state and deported (or killed) hundreds of thousands of people whose families had been living in the region for 500 years or more?
Look, I know this could turn into a debate between us about everything since 1918 (or before if you’re particularly interested) but I think we should stop there. Neither of our nations has totally clean hands and to start arguing about whose are cleaner is a bit silly.
inkRE: eastern sniper comparison…
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-05-02 AT 10:58Â PM (GMT)]Because so much of my reference literature is pure Russian and Soviet related it has little or nothing about eastern European weapons. I can hardly rely on my Jane’s Guns Recognition Guide for reliable information (besides, it’s the ’96 edition). What a sodding waste of money…
JAG,
You’re not off the hook about those photos of M76s with bipods… 🙂
inkRE: Kosovo
Geforce,
“If the EU gives money to the Serbs to rebuild infrastructure, isn’t that helping?” – Coservative estimates of the damage done to the Yugoslav infrastructure run to about US$6,000,000,000 (some are as high as twice that). The EU has paid out mere tens of millions in aid and a considerable bit more in loans (which, by their very nature, have to be paid back some day – with interest). The US has given even less. The aid (and the loans) are a token. Nothing more.
A prosperous Yugoslavia, competing with EU corporations on the international market (in fields like defense, cars, consumer goods, chemicals, fertilizers etc) and prospering without being an EU member is exactly what the EU don’t want. Yugoslavia wasn’t playing the right tune so we got stepped on. Simple as…
Geforce, you haven’t studied the conflict in any great depth and you’re still optimistic and trusting of your politicians actions and intentions, therefore, your opinion is rather naive. I don’t mean to offend by saying that, it’s just that your comments are those of someone who hasn’t lived and breathed the situation for the last ten years.
JAG,
I think Garry meant that Yug should tell the Eu to F*ck off, not Geforce. If so, I completely agree – except that if we did we’d get bombed again. Funny ol’ world huh?
inkRE: eastern sniper comparison…
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 03-05-02 AT 09:11Â AM (GMT)]800m??? You’re debating the wrong range. both these rifles were intended for the same role: A mass producable, soldier-proof (or soldier friendly), reliable sniper/sharp-shooter/marksman’s rifle. The ranges at which they are most likely to be used are between 400m and 600m – i.e. they were intended to increase a squads effectivness at extreme assault rifle ranges. Shooting out to 800m is possible and plausible but not likely or common. You wouldn’t expect to hit much at that range with an AK but that doesn’t make Kalashnikov pattern rifles somehow inferior.
Garry,
Pretty much the only reason I know anything about the M76 is that I am from Yugoslavia (and the generous media coverage of that nation over the last 10 years). Did any other eastern European states experiment much with sniper rifles or did they all lap up what the Soviets poured into their bowls? I know that Hungary did some interesting anti-material rifles but I don’t know anything about the Rumanians, Czechoslovaks and Poles.
By the way, fantastic pics!
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