Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

Norman Kember Freed

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

Norman Kember Freed

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 24th Mar 2006, 11:40
  #21 (permalink)  
Red On, Green On
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Can't exactly see the boys from H getting/accepting an invite to no.10 and being poured drinks by the PM as Maggie did after Princes Gate.
airborne_artist is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2006, 13:21
  #22 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northumberland
Age: 65
Posts: 748
Received 6 Likes on 2 Posts
ITV news this lunchtime. Had a couple of his bible thumping mates on who were both very dismissive of the military. One said of the danger involved in the rescue 'So what, it's their job'. Luckily the phone in and e-mails were nearly all incredibly anti this silly little man and his crusade. That at least took the smiles off their faces.

Like I have said before, wait for the round of TV shows, the book and quite possibly the open top bus procession.
Wyler is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2006, 18:31
  #23 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Cosford
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I am slightly confused here, no change there. The star'n'stripes boys said they were acting on inteligence gained the night before the rescue but Jack 'the lad' Straw said the operation had been ongoing for weeks. Who is telling the truth? Despite all that I am glad to see the old duffer is free, just hope he takes the hint and keeps his nose out of other peoples business from now on.
Dogfish is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2006, 20:58
  #24 (permalink)  

Rebel PPRuNer
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Toronto, Canada (formerly EICK)
Age: 51
Posts: 2,834
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
it's actually possible to reconcile this - if there was a "let's game out a scenario for when we get the int" and "well we got the int a couple of hours before and executed game plan x"

There were Canadians involved apparently, some kerfuffle about that here (was it RCMP and/or JTF2, what were they doing in iraq etc.etc.etc.) so they hardly showed up on 3hrs notice.
MarkD is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2006, 21:54
  #25 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 786
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
For Ops like this it is customary to ensure that members of each nation being rescued are on the rescuing team - therefore the surviving hostages can each be treated and de-briefed by there own side without some diplomatic hand-over fiasco - which has been quite embarrasing on previous occasions. I would have thought that a small team of Canadian SF would have been lodging with the lead rescuing force looking for these guys until either they were rescued or bodies were found. Not sure, but just an outside guess.
Lafyar Cokov is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2006, 23:13
  #26 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: .
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I suppose he will be wanting a lift home in one HMG's finest Aircraft?
ratty1 is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2006, 23:26
  #27 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: GUESS WHERE NOW
Posts: 539
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
For all the gratitude for the military rescuers had to take that was shown by his friends they should have LEFT THE SILLY OL;D F**T where he was and see how his Bible bashing friends reacted then . .
SPIT is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2006, 23:26
  #28 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Downeast
Age: 75
Posts: 18,290
Received 516 Likes on 215 Posts
Why not....they're going that way anyhow are they not? The ride would be all part of the service, along with the medical treatment, the rescue, the new clothes, the food and accomodation....why not a ride home too?
SASless is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 06:54
  #29 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I’m surprised no one has asked the obvious question: what if one or more SAS troopers of American SF soldiers had been killed rescuing these individuals? (I hesitate to label them the way I’d like to.)

I really think any such people planning to go to Iraq should be left in absolutely no doubt as to their status should they be taken hostage. It should be clearly pointed out that no effort will be spent and no risk of life taken in attempting a rescue. End of story.

I was intrigued at the way CNN truncated the sound bite of the bearded … person (see above) from Canada who was the ‘co-ordinator’ of the peace group. Early broadcasts included (given the way and by whom his people had been rescued) his totally inappropriate comments about the war; in later transmissions, these comments were dropped.
Wiley is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 07:48
  #30 (permalink)  
Red On, Green On
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Article in the Telegraph with more detail - the Canadian hostages refused to co-operate in a de-brief.
airborne_artist is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 08:34
  #31 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Gods Country
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Even though he is flying back civ/con air today, he will have been evacuated using the RAF aeromed system and there will probably be a MO or RMN around somewhere..
Anton Meyer is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 08:50
  #32 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: A far distant land
Posts: 98
Received 34 Likes on 6 Posts
Heartened to see Sky ripping into Norm's supporters this morning - don't fancy his chances in front of the press when he returns to Pinner later today.... Hostile Press? I think this will be entertainment of the most delicious kind
Big Unit Specialist is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 09:47
  #33 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ici
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Somehow, I don't think they would have been troubled too much by any UK or US deaths during the rescue.

It would, however, have been a delicious irony if 20 Iraqi captors had been killed during a rescue mission.

Imagine the guilt those 3 pillocks would have had to live with for the rest of their days - being directly responsible for the deaths of 20 people...
passpartout is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 09:49
  #34 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Downeast
Age: 75
Posts: 18,290
Received 516 Likes on 215 Posts
Wiley,

Why does that surprise you at all about CNN? They make the Beeb's look like wildeyed conservatives!

Flip flop channels between FOX and CNN....if you wish to see a contrast. Ignore the Factor and those segments and just compare the "news" segments.
SASless is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 10:51
  #35 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: England
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I see Gen Sir Mike Jackson has gone on record (C4 News) to regisister his annoyance at the lack of gratitude. Good to see a 4* saying what the troops under him are thinking. Although if I were a cynic I would mention that he is retiring soon and has nothing to lose by raising his head above the parapet.
Danny_Boy is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 11:14
  #36 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: YES
Posts: 779
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Yes Jackson wasn't a happy camper. And Ignoring FCO advice and putting servicemaes lives on the line is absoute stupidity. I wonder will the Press force him to pubically thank th forces involved and apologise for the risks he made them take.
NURSE is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 11:29
  #37 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Under the clag EGKA
Posts: 1,026
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Anton Meyer
Even though he is flying back civ/con air today, he will have been evacuated using the RAF aeromed system and there will probably be a MO or RMN around somewhere..
Registered Mental Nurse perhaps? Oooh I do hope so.
effortless is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 16:13
  #38 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Thames Valley
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
And look who has appeared all over the tv screens as spokesman.....

None other than Monsignor Bruce Kent.

Says it all.
MostlyModerate is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 18:07
  #39 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It seems like Mr Kember is now very grateful to those involved. (From the BBC website today).

Quote:
However, Christian Peacemaker Teams, the group all three men were campaigning for, insisted it had thanked the soldiers and Mrs Kember said she was "very grateful".
Speaking at a VIP lounge at Heathrow in the company of his wife, Mr Kember said: "I do not believe that a lasting peace is achieved by armed force, but I pay tribute to their courage and thank those who played a part in my rescue."


MT
monkeytamer is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2006, 20:44
  #40 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Couldn't possibly say!
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I think to$$ers like this who go to Iraq when they don't have to should sign a release form waiving their right to be rescued if captured. It galls me to think of decent blokes putting their lives on the line for these !!
Mike Oxbigg is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.