Posted on 04/25/2002 11:32:28 AM PDT by Slam
THE Canadian military has been accused of excessive "squeamishness", after recalling a sniper hailed for his bravery in Afghanistan to face a court martial for shouting at a chaplain.
Master Cpl Arron Perry is one of five Canadian snipers nominated for a Bronze Star by American commanders for saving the lives of US troops during missions to root out die-hard Taliban and al-Qa'eda fighters in mountains.
Cpl Perry has been sent back to Canada to face, instead of a hero's welcome, a court martial on discipline charges, reported to be in connection with threatening remarks he is alleged to have made to the Canadian chaplain during a "stress debriefing".
The sniper is also under investigation in connection with a photograph showing the corpse of an Afghan fighter with a cigarette in its mouth and bearing a sign reading "F*** terrorism". He denies responsibility for the photograph, which was taken during combat.
Cpl Perry is now confined to the city of Edmonton, forbidden from carrying a weapon, and working in a supply role.
"Look at what they did to me," he said. "This is how they show their appreciation to me, by sending me back to Canada."
Military experts yesterday denounced what they called Canada's culture of disdain for its armed services, despite their courageous record in two world wars, as well as in the Korean war and numerous peacekeeping operations.
Canadian commanders have been unusually sensitive to any hint of misconduct since a scandal involving Canadian commandos serving as peacekeepers in Somalia, who beat a teenager to death while he was in their custody.
American plans to award Bronze Stars to all five Canadians have now been delayed.
Master Cpl.Perry has been sent home charged with a disciplinary charge and is accused of unbecoming conduct relating to a picture he took of a dead Afghan.
Some how I doubt Perry gave any interviews to any reporters (jmho)
I strongly recommend that anyone who has not already done so should read This Kind of War, and pay particular attention to the chapter titled "Proud Legions". It has much to say which is of particular relevance to the present war in Afghanistan.
AB
"All I thought of was Sept. 11th and all those people who didn't have a chance and the American reporter who was taken hostage, murdered and his wife getting the videotape of the execution; that is my justification."
A master corporal from Ontario, the lead sniper of his three-man team, said when they first landed in the combat zone "our spider senses were tingling.... It was night and we didn't know what to expect."
By daylight, after coming under enemy machine-gun fire, he managed to ease his rifle barrel between two rocks and quickly located an enemy sniper hiding behind a small piece of corrugated steel between two trees. He guessed the distance at 1,700 metres and fired one shot through the metal, killing the man instantly.
He said afterward he remembered thinking: "That's one less bullet that's gonna be coming at us, one less person we have to think about."
During the next four days of fighting, the Newfoundland corporal set what is believed to be a record for a long-distance shot under combat conditions, hitting an enemy gunman at a distance of 2,430 metres. "
Are you sure about that?
Because I’m feeling pretty certain that’s a morally tenuous position…at best.
War is a Condition. And that oh so vague definition can be argued...will be, should be in this FR but hopefully not in this thread.
Purposeful mass murder, mass rape, the mass killing of children, terrible crimes that you have never thought of are (only) parts of that condition.
I shouldn't do this...but if you are maybe more correctly trying to ask me (or lure me into some nonsensical prioritization)if the rape and murder of many children is greater than that of one, well I will let you decide and agree with you on your conclusion.
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
-- John Stuart Mill
Give me credit for my patience here. That virtue is not one of my strong suits. Why I could of never of been a sniper...well one reason anyway
Take a deep cleansing breathe, re-read the article, check its validity, read the background (there are other FR links/threads that relate...do a search) think about the context of my opening post, and lets comment accordingly...okay?
I say again, I stand by my opening post. Out.
Oh. If you need me to, I will explain to you the difference between "over and out"...which should never be used together..
Thank you for that quote...I never tire of reading it.
What makes you think you haven't already gone?
You have a comparable social program for everyone we have, and even a couple we don't. Your taxes in many cases are higher (check out your real income tax rates) and your national debt of 5.9 trillion is nothing to ignore. Clinton was as hard on your military as O'Crouton has been on ours and what we have in French, you'll soon have in Spanish.
Some one mentioned "thought police" and laws against hurting someone's feelings. We have a law against distributing hate material, libel and slander, other than that, I'm not sure what that is about.
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