Colonel tim collins cleared of war crimes

Daily mail

[Becki]

I am very glad he was cleared.

I didn't like the sounds of this at all. The charges just did not match up with the image of his wonderful speach.

Becki

[gcruse]

Kneejerk jingoism crashes and burns. Excellent news.

[pabianice]

The man who levelled the accusations, part-time soldier Major Re Biastre

Third World valuing the difference of the multicultural diversity alert!

[telebob]

I just had to post his speech. One of the greatest oratorical works I've ever heard or read. I actually cried. Please forgive the length..

Speech by Tim Collins, Lieutenant-Colonel, Commander of The Royal Irish battle group, Beginning of Iraq War

“THE enemy should be in no doubt that we are his Nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of Hell for Saddam. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity. But those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others, I expect you to rock their world.
“We go to liberate, not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. We are entering Iraq to free a people, and the only flag that will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Don’t treat them as refugees, for they are in their own country.
“I know men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts. They live with the mark of Cain upon them. If someone surrenders to you, then remember they have that right in international law, and ensure that one day they go home to their family. The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please. If there are casualties of war, then remember, when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly, and mark their graves.
“You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest, for your deeds will follow you down history. Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood, and the birth of Abraham. Tread lightly there. You will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality, even though they have nothing ...
“There may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow. Let’s leave Iraq a better place for us having been there. Our business now, is north.”

[Lancey Howard]

I really wish that there were news reports that came from somewhere other than these British tabloids. My first reaction was to figure that Collins was a pompous snot who was trying to bully an American soldier of (slightly) lesser rank. But now I figure that this American officer was some leftover Clinton trash. There's just something about the whole story that I can't quite get my hands around..... This whole dispute came from a US officer handing out candy?

Col Collins feared that Maj Biastre’s actions would cause chaos and endanger the children

Bull. Anybody buy that? Gimme a break.
There's more to this whole charade than meets the eye. The whole story stinks to high heaven.

Like I said, I wish news reports about this would come from somewhere other than British tabloids.

[VOA]

Active disdain, hell. He deserves a court martial.

Well, as a civilian...I went about as far as I could.
I try to not be presumptuous on military matters as I can't say "been there, done that".

But yes, in that little martial segment of my brain, the jerk deserves
a court-martial...but I suspect that the adverse publicity and having his
name make known...that will fry him enough.

And if he has an unrepentant spirit...I suspect his fellow soldiers will
make sure he feels the heat.
Maybe that will make him "see the light"!

And if he is a reservist ("part-time soldier Major Re Biastre", as the article says)
and he was my civilian employee, I'd do what I could legally to make his life unpleasant.
(Yeah, I know that's probably a legal issue...but I would not want to have
this sort of jerk in my employ.)

[gaelwolf]

The Telegraph is not a tabloid...it's one of Britain's papers of record, and has a conservative bent.

Colonel Collins is tough, but he is far from being a "pompous snot", as asserted above.

Col Collins had ordered that candy not be handed out, primarily because doing so places children at serious risk of injury or death when they attempt to approach moving military vehicles in the hope that the troops aboard might toss candy to them.

The story does not "stink to high heaven" for any of us who have been in such situations, nor for those of us who have first-hand experience of the professionalism of officers like Colonel Collins.

[Oztrich Boy]

OK how about the The Times

But if you want American defense of the "caring, compassionate" guidence consellor, Here's his hometown paper

And you want to know what stinks to high heaven?

This

Army Reserve Maj. Re Biastre hands out candy to Iraqi children, reportedly in defiance of an order by British Lt. Col. Tim Collons.

Right. the meda just happened to get a snap of the incident. No way, Jose. This carefully posed picture was staged at some other time.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt by Biastre. So what kind of person goes around polishing his image like that?

[may18]

personally i place more importance on the comments of the NAMED US marine fighting men than anything else

If a US marine speaks in collins favour, thats good enough for me.

[beckett]

Bull. Anybody buy that? Gimme a break.

I buy it. Collins was maintaining orderly relations with the Iraqi people in his district. He very sensibly concluded that kids screaming for candy running near moving vehicles could present a danger both for the kids and the troops. Biastre came into Collins's district and behaved in an insubordinate manner when given an order to desist from giving out candy.

But all of that is beside the point anyway. The far more important aspect of this story is that Maj. Biastre has been revealed to be the source of a war crime charge against Collins for acts that he (Biastre) in no way could have seen first hand. Based on rumor alone (and some suspect even the so-called "rumors" orginated with, or were at least enhanced by, Biastre), he deliberately and vindictively sought to blacken the name of a superior officer.

Needless to say, the enemies of United States policy in Iraq both at home and abroad had a field day with Maj Biastre's charges, taking the opportunity to demean and denigrate the integrity of US and British troops and to blacken the coalition effort in Iraq generally. Biastre also caused a breach in US-British relations at a critical moment when Americans had much to be grateful for to our steadfast British allies.

Biastre is a disgrace to his uniform.

[may18]

beckett

the comments by the Regular marine major spoke volumes

he accused the reservist of single handedly ruining a close alliance.

Yes collins is a tough man, his nickname in his regiment was simple "nails".

But the USA fighting men attached to him had no problem with him

It would be a terrible shame if one "social advisor" soured the feeling between nations that fought side by side

[TomB]

I really wish that there were news reports that came from somewhere other than these British tabloids.

As pointed out previously, the Telegraph is not a tabloid, it is THE conservative paper in Britain. In addition, you have the testimony of a NAMED marine major. Note that there have been no stories in the liberal rags over there with corroborating evidence supporting Biastre, and you can bet they would print it in a second if it existed.

Bull. Anybody buy that? Gimme a break.

I recall hearing over and over during the invasion that soldiers were prohibited from handing out candy and food.

[Lancey Howard]

I do not understand how Collins got into a spat with this clown Biastre in the first place. Sorry, the story doesn't make sense to me and I maintain that there is more here than meets the eye.

By the way, contrary to what some posters seem to be asserting, I am not taking sides in this fiasco (although I am tending to agree that this Biastre is little more than leftover Clinton officer trash). I am still trying to figure out how the fiasco started in the first place and then got blown up into an international incident.

And I'm also trying to figure out why Collins lowered himself to getting involved in a dispute with this Biastre....over handing out freaking candy. This was handled all wrong, in my opinion.

[ASOC]

Kids never learn, even after they catch a tin of "ham and lima beans" thrown from a track.

BTW, what does the UCMJ have to say about "false reports"

[Lancey Howard]

I recall hearing over and over during the invasion that soldiers were prohibited from handing out candy and food.

I also recall that. Clear as a bell. In fact, I bet most people who followed the war reports on cable news were aware of the prohibition.

But what were the specifics of the prohibition? Throwing candy from vehicles could clearly present problems, but what about soldiers on foot, in off-road or designated areas? Why was Biastre, who certainly had to be aware of the rules, handing out candy?

[Bedford Forrest]

Looks like some of you were WAY off.

But I was WAY on, - I recommended that the insolent and insubordinate major be keelhauled and drummed out, or some such.

[TomB]

I also recall that. Clear as a bell. In fact, I bet most people who followed the war reports on cable news were aware of the prohibition.

It doesn't sound like the major places emphasis on following orders.

Here is an explanation from the other article:

(After being seen giving out candy...)

One squaddie said: Col Collins asked him who he was and what he was doing. The major explained himself.

Col Collins said, ‘This is my area of responsibility. I’ve put a ban on this. It is not good for security and I don’t want the locals treated in this way. They have pride’.

Word has gone round that the US major was heard to say, ‘You do your job and I will do mine’.

Majors do not speak to colonels like that. The colonel apparently blew his top and stormed: ‘Do you realise who you are talking to? This is Col Tim Collins of the Royal Irish Regiment. Stand to attention when I’m talking to you’.

The US major stood up in a sloppy, disrespectful manner while saying ‘yeah, fine,’ instead of snapping to attention. At that point Col Collins got angry and ordered a sergeant major to arrest him for insubordination.

This obviously wasn't just about giving out candy. This was gross insubordination.

But what were the specifics of the prohibition? Throwing candy from vehicles could clearly present problems, but what about soldiers on foot, in off-road or designated areas? Why was Biastre, who certainly had to be aware of the rules, handing out candy?

Considering Biastre was then demoted by his own superiors. He obviously was doing something wrong.

[Capriole]

Glad to hear you're so sporting and understanding about it. The English-speaking peoples, as Churchill termed us, have to stick together.

[TEXASPROUD]

Great News!

[katze]

"Looks like some of you were WAY off."

Really? Pls explain your comment.