Norman Kember Freed
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: A lot closer to the sea
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Pr00ne,
Indeed uniform in pubs brings the Forces into 'disrepute' apparently. Never really stopped anyone after a freedom of city, Trafalgar 200, Golden Jubilee parade type bash. RN lads take great pride in their 'Square Rig' and find it actually attracts a lot of female attention when worn out on the town on authorised Rig Runs. Can't comment on Army and RAF however. Oxford and London are clearly more civilised than such places as Yeovil, Huntingdon and Stamford. Personally, whilst walking to a parade in uniform post 2003 I have been called a 'fascist murderer' and spat at, which may have biased me slightly.
Certain hospitals do indeed have substantial numbers of military medical personnel and I hope the story of the TA lad was a one off.
Indeed uniform in pubs brings the Forces into 'disrepute' apparently. Never really stopped anyone after a freedom of city, Trafalgar 200, Golden Jubilee parade type bash. RN lads take great pride in their 'Square Rig' and find it actually attracts a lot of female attention when worn out on the town on authorised Rig Runs. Can't comment on Army and RAF however. Oxford and London are clearly more civilised than such places as Yeovil, Huntingdon and Stamford. Personally, whilst walking to a parade in uniform post 2003 I have been called a 'fascist murderer' and spat at, which may have biased me slightly.
Certain hospitals do indeed have substantial numbers of military medical personnel and I hope the story of the TA lad was a one off.
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: London
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Originally Posted by Vim_Fuego
Kember has the look and mannerisms of a person that would take the stance most guaranteed to rile any decent person.
We have a 74 year old man who, while quite possibly being missguided, is nonetheless brave enough to make the substantial personal sacrifice to travel to Iraq in persuit of his ideals and the goal we apparently all share - peace for the Iraqis. Would you be willing to do the same?
And yet after 3 months captive, facing potential death, is freed to receive...... vitriol. Why? Because he didn't say "thank-you" soon enough?!?!
FFS!!
Given he is a long standing opponent of military action is it hardly surprising he doesn't want any part to play in the back slapping handed out after his release or any propaganda coup?
The Sun: "Operation Desert Norm"
The Telegraph: "[The Iraqis]are capable of being a pretty loathsome bunch and in many respects had what's coming to them"
...etc etc etc.
No less dare we mention that the organisation he worked for and his family asked that no lives be risked and no one be killed in a rescue attempt?
Vim, the man you are referring to was a Professor of medical physics at St. Bart's Hospital, London....yet the papers, and yourself, cast him as an idiot. Hardly an idiot. A religious idealist perhaps, but no more idiotic than those who felt invading Iraq was going to bring peace and prosperity, "liberating" armies set to be showered with flowers and the ongoing death and destruction merely blips in an otherwise shining progression to unity and democracy. This is man who's life in the medical profession has brought a great deal of good to the world.
Do his "look and mannerisms" really mean that much to you?
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lake District
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And yet after 3 months captive, facing potential death, is freed to receive...... vitriol. Why? Because he didn't say "thank-you" soon enough?!?!
I seriously doubt he would have said 'thanks' at all if he could have got away with it.
propaganda coup?
Do his "look and mannerisms" really mean that much to you?
Whatthef***!?!
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: The Isle of Rockall
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Can't believe i've just read this quote:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4911358.stm
Mr Kember said he "continues to thank" his rescuers.
"They were brave. I disagree with their profession, but it is ironic isn't it - you go as a peace activist and you are rescued by the SAS, which is perhaps the most violent of all the British forces.
"Anyway I am grateful to them.
"They were brave. I disagree with their profession, but it is ironic isn't it - you go as a peace activist and you are rescued by the SAS, which is perhaps the most violent of all the British forces.
"Anyway I am grateful to them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4911358.stm
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Join Date: Apr 2004
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My 2 cents - by Kent Brockman
If it did turn out he forgot to thank the SAS, the Canadians and the Yanks (for forming a perimeter probably - cheers lads 
) then he should think himself lucky 22 didn't slot him while chained to a radiator.
Would have saved the Pinner Council a meals on wheels visit every day and the DHS 75 quid a week
Not two words I'd expect to see int he same sentence . . . lets be glad they didn't send in a Tomahawk when we were in 'freeing' Mr Kember.
As for the phone call, does anyone think the bods who let King Ding-a-Ling make it, allowed it on the off chance his naughty friends may unload an AK into the useless lot before high-tailing it and save everyones safety, time and money at the expense of a few politicans expressing outrage. I hope it was a calculated risk that unfortunately didn't pay off. Harsh, maybe so.
My view is the same if someone goes walking up onto the Cairngorms in the middle of winter wearing jeans, a Marks and Spencer jumper and with a copy of an AA road map, let them pay a % of their rescue costs, see if they still do it in their droves. I suspect SAR would log less hours every year.
Taxpayers money wasted on rescue operation, diplomacy, etc. + Sordid little back-alley conversations/deals done between our government and a bunch of backward looking fanatical flip-flops = Enough to pay for reliable equipment for troops from the date of his capture until we withdraw.
Despite his believes and morals, wandering around Iraq, during an insurgency, 76 years old, with a bible and humming 'Coom Bye Ya' was maybe shortsighted - he needs to take a look in a mirror.
And the spokeswoman for the charity who is adamant about going to Iraq this summer, make her show up at a police station with her passport like the football hooligans, silly bint.
NB Congrats to Melchott for a very entertaining post.
) then he should think himself lucky 22 didn't slot him while chained to a radiator.Would have saved the Pinner Council a meals on wheels visit every day and the DHS 75 quid a week
Originally Posted by Dogfish
The star'n'stripes boys said they were acting on inteligence gained the night before the rescue.
As for the phone call, does anyone think the bods who let King Ding-a-Ling make it, allowed it on the off chance his naughty friends may unload an AK into the useless lot before high-tailing it and save everyones safety, time and money at the expense of a few politicans expressing outrage. I hope it was a calculated risk that unfortunately didn't pay off. Harsh, maybe so.
My view is the same if someone goes walking up onto the Cairngorms in the middle of winter wearing jeans, a Marks and Spencer jumper and with a copy of an AA road map, let them pay a % of their rescue costs, see if they still do it in their droves. I suspect SAR would log less hours every year.
Taxpayers money wasted on rescue operation, diplomacy, etc. + Sordid little back-alley conversations/deals done between our government and a bunch of backward looking fanatical flip-flops = Enough to pay for reliable equipment for troops from the date of his capture until we withdraw.
Despite his believes and morals, wandering around Iraq, during an insurgency, 76 years old, with a bible and humming 'Coom Bye Ya' was maybe shortsighted - he needs to take a look in a mirror.
And the spokeswoman for the charity who is adamant about going to Iraq this summer, make her show up at a police station with her passport like the football hooligans, silly bint.
NB Congrats to Melchott for a very entertaining post.
Last edited by scameron77; 15th Apr 2006 at 16:54.
