Wednesday 6 January 2010

Here's One Soldier Who Told The Truth About Afghan War..........and about to pay a big price!!


Before I drop into my rant I wish it to be clear to everyone.........I fully support every single member of the our Armed Forces in the combat Operations they are carrying out.........However I detest our government for sending them there, for liying about it, for not supporting them, for scrimping on money, and for their treatment of the injured and repatriated.


Politicians and newspapers love to revere a war hero from Afghanistan, so it’s strange that they haven’t got round to Lance- Corporal Joe Glenton. When Joe went out there he must have been warned he could end up being held in captivity, but he can’t have expected that would mean getting locked away by the British Army.

His crime was to conclude that the war was making matters worse, and it was immoral to carry on fighting, and to say this publicly. So they put him in a military jail, presumably to stop him doing it again. Leave this dangerous felon at liberty and he might refuse to fight in the Congo, in Kashmir, in a re-enactment of the Battle of Bosworth; who knows what danger he’d be to the public.

As a soldier, this must leave you in a state of confusion, as I doubt whether the initial briefing includes a section that goes, “Now then, men, during your tour of duty with the British Army, I implore you to remain vigilant and wary at all times of the wily foes known as the British Army.”

Joe Glenton might have escaped arrest if he’d been prepared to keep his opposition to the war quiet, rather than speak about his experience openly. Because, as a soldier, he’s not supposed to air an opinion about the war. But every week there are reports in which soldiers tell us we’re slowly winning, and none of them get court- martialled. So the real crime wasn’t to voice an opinion but to voice the wrong opinion.

In any case British Army leaders make statements about every aspect of the war, to the extent that Richard Dannatt, head of the whole force, criticised the Government just before announcing his allegiance to the Tories. Maybe there’s a formula that goes, “Officers of the rank of Captain or above shall he be entitled to thoughts. (However, ranks down to Sergeant-Major may be permitted certain impulses, at the rate of up to three per calendar month).”

It must be hard for a soldier not to hold an opinion on the war, when they can see they’re often arming one set of warlords against another, to the extent we call the ones we like the “Moderate Taliban”. Presumably these are the ones who say “One tower was fine, but we shouldn’t have done the two”.

There must be signs all round the barracks saying “You are ordered not to notice that the honest government you’re risking your lives to defend fiddled the election so blatantly the UN ordered it to be re-run – or that the heroin production you were told you’d be eliminating has gone up – or that many of the civilians you’re here to protect want you to leave. You must also be careful not to remember that one of the reasons given for the war was to capture Bin Laden, which we never did. Therefore anyone who sees him must not notice him, as this will serve to dampen morale.”

This might be why Joe described his time in the barracks since his imprisonment by saying “The response was fantastic. Soldiers shook my hand and patted me on the back. One guy said, ’You’re saying what everyone else is thinking’. Talking to soldiers in other units, you get the impression that people are questioning why we’re in Afghanistan.”

This questioning has spread through every layer of society, to the extent that the audience for a recent Question Time in Wootton Bassett, the town that lines the streets for each returning dead soldier, warmed to the arguments of anti-war campaigner Salma Yaqoob.

So the politicians and supporters of the war must be thankful to Anjem Choudary, who’s planned a march through Wootton Bassett for his group called Islam4UK.

To give him credit, no one could accuse Islam4UK of pandering to Middle England. If one of his supporters suggested “Maybe we should call ourselves Islam4UK, except for Surrey”, he’d probably say “If you’re going soft you can sod off and join the Liberal Democrats”. Next week, you assume, he’ll announce a parade demanding the ritual slaughter of all kittens live on Blue Peter.

The march allows supporters of the war to define the situation as sensible Britain versus militant Islam. But sensible Britain is turning against this war or at least turning against the politicians who deemed the war a requirement.

Joe Glenton has recently been released on bail, and his court martial takes place in three weeks, around the time another participant in war will be giving his evidence. So the rules seem to be that if you tell a lie to start a war, you’re called up seven years later for a polite inquiry. And if you tell the truth to stop a war you’re likely to get banged up. To someone somewhere I presume this all makes sense.

However Joe I personally feel you have made a huge error. You are fully entitled to your thoughts, but you should have kept them until you removed your uniform. Whilst you wear your insignia you and your colleagues are 1 unit, 1 team. You have undermined them, you have driven a crack through the unit.
Better to have resigned, left the service then give your views. Sorry a big mistake. Whilst you wore the uniform and took the Queen shilling I can not support you!!!


Source

6 comments:

subrosa said...

I was about to comment along the lines of your last sentence before I read it LotF.

Yes he has made a big mistake. He doesn't understand the meaning of 'colleagenshaft' which is a vital part of military employment.

Such a shame really because he would have had a great cause to fight from a civilian standpoint.

The Last Of The Few said...

Rosie,
I support the teams but not the government.

I support Joes views to an extent but as someone who wore the uniform the team comes first no matter what the opinion or the situation.

He has let himself and his mates down.

He should have left the service and if he felt the way he did join a group who would have welcomed his exp and support.

Now he pays a big price.

He could have got someone killed.

Anonymous said...

I can see what you mean by the last sentence, but for all that I would support this man. A guy who actually tells the truth about something has to have my respect, especially when we are bombarded by so many lies from government, senior officers and, I heard recently on the BBC, the officer who was sending us his diary from Afghanistan every day. Full of hope and enthusiasm for a job well done. What bollocks.

It’s all a lie. One massive lie or lots of little ones depending how you look at it. Brown, Blair and all the Cabinet members have been lying to us. Senior officers have lied to us until they retired, then they told us the truth.

Everything about this stinking mess has been a lie. And our lads have paid with their lives. Not just the dead ones, but the ones who will from the age of 19 or 20 be horribly disabled.

And the filth that ordered this massive lie is asking that we re-elect them for another 5 years of fiddling expenses, bigging themselves up, and sending our young soldiers to die. The sad thing is that our half witted population may just do that.

I’m utterly consumed with hatred for this grimy little government and the Ministry of War. I’d love to put Blair, Brown, Noon and that odious little shit Ainsworth in the front line with defective equipment and tell THEM to fight for Cheney’s pipeline. Lying scum.

Joe, you may have broken some code, but I’m right there with you.

The Last Of The Few said...

Tris,

Fully repect your view.
But to me a little more than code.

I agree with his points but not in uniform........resign then speak.

Cheers my friend

Anonymous said...

LotF

I'm always dubious about commenting on military matters. I don't know anything about the protocols... and I know that people like you and SR do.

It's only gut feeling here. Someone has to do something to stop this nonsense, and... well, I personally respedct Joe for doing it. But as I say, I very much take your point that he should have given up his salary first.

The Last Of The Few said...

Tris,

Cheers Bud
Saor Alba

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