At the risk of upsetting someone else, I think there has been some great coverage of Ops lately. C4 and Sky have done particularly well, as have, and this suprises me, BBC2 with the Above Enemy Lines programme.

It is a great pity that Iraq did not benefit from the positive coverage afforded to Afghanistan. But then, Iraq was always questionable....

Can't think why you should feel you're upsetting anyone, MGD.

My only question is - does your 'mini' refer to the gun or your abilities as a diplomat?

airsound

Good banter. Maybe a lesson for others. I actually miss AIDU, at least he doesn't take things personally.

Well, you could try leading him a tad more.:)

More Good Stuff
 

The Alex Thomson/Stuart Webb team produced another rivetting report Monday evening, for anyone not yet converted to Channel 4 News. This one doesn't have much aviation in it (apart from an Apache) - but it does show how much effort C4 are putting into things military. The piece is called 'Is latest massacre of Taliban futile?'

http://www.channel4.com/news/article...futile/1535347

airsound

MERTS
 

Apologies for trespassing into the arena of experts. Just to say thanks for kind comments on the astonishing work of the MERT team at Bastion. And indeed cameraman Stuart Webb. Thanks to all who cascaded this on to those who need to know but don't watch C4 News (how could you not??)

And yes, after 13 years and more than 34 reports C4News will never, ever let the Mull of Kintyre shame rest until it is righted. About which I have high hopes in the coming weeks.

Thanks - alex t

MERT
 

Yes, it's just [email protected] -- but you don't have to be polite or appreciative. criticism and stories are welcome too.thankyou.

The piece (title and excerpt above) being the write up by Alex Thomson on the Channel 4/News/International Politics page that you link us to, airsound, rather than the video of the filmed piece which is in turn linked from that. I make the contrast as there was no such reservation on the video AFAIK, other than the end piece comment that both sides would have claimed success. The comment above is good Guardianesque woolly minded nonsense IMHO, the aim was not to win territory but to stop further T'ban encroachment towards the Dam, all war is immoral but sometimes it is also the least immoral course on offer, if the dam is lost to the T'ban then many tens of thousands of H's and M's would also be lost. A rather disappointing tag to what otherwise was an excellent item. Co-incidentally the dam defence was also the subject of last night's episode of Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, by the Royal Anglians who were readying themselves to hand over to the Royal Marines shown in this piece. The mature professionalism of such young men in both pieces was admirable, as was their cool courage. Respect!

Alex

Welcome. What do think of the Ross Kemp programme?

Alex,

Good stuff and some excellent camerawork. I think we all owe you a debt of gratitude, as we do a certain Mr Kemp, for keeping Afghanistan in the public eye.
I am a follower of C4 news, and enjoy your work. Not sure about some of Jon Snow's socks though!

MGD

Well this all went rather quiet didn't it? I hope it wasn't because of anything untoward that someone said! :O
First off I stand by the comments that I made re Alex's piece. Second my posting overlapped with his (two) which I was thus unaware of. If I had seen them before I would have welcomed him to the forum as I do now. Alex, your piece was excellent as was last week's. It takes rare courage to go unarmed and untrained into such dangerous situations (though I am sure that rudimentary stay alive advice was given). So bravo to you and Stuart Webb for doing so again and again. My reservation is of course with the written piece quoted on my previous post, that did not appear on TV and thus leaves me puzzled. You are embedded and subject to MOD censorship. You are careful what you say and talk obliquely about heavy T'ban casualties and leave it at that, which is all that goes out on Ch4. On their web site however you talk of a 'massacre' and wonder what if anything was achieved in this battle. If you had such reservations why weren't they aired on TV? They would surely have been the 'real' story! Does the fact that you have further reports to file inhibit you? Was the web piece merely a sop to your concerns? You were there, I wasn't (I'm glad to say). Did you pick up these vibes off of the Marines, or was it your own instinctive revulsion of the sheer waste of war? Rather reminds me of the Jack Hawkins preacher character in Zulu, as he is bundled indoors with a "Come along now gentleman sir, you're upsetting the lads". Will you impart your concerns to the lads when you see them next, Alex? Will you "Tell it to the Marines"?

As suggested, sent an e-mail of appreciation to AT. Wonderful reply back to me, with some illuminating information, he had to fight to film that package. Some obstruction from higher up the food chain and not by what he intimates from in theatre.

Had some correspondence with AT of Channel 4 News during the day and he promises another cracking Afghanistan report tomorrow. He mentioned there should be a lead in for it in the Torygraph as well.

Rob

And to think some Footballers are getting £30.000 p/w because they have the hard job of kicking a Ball around, yet these Medics only get basic pay for saving lives ???? :confused::confused::mad::mad:

MGD - I am 100% with you mate. As someone who has done 7 tours in AFG and 4 in IZ, I have a small amount of experience. I also have an opinion and the freedom of speech that I fight for is what MGD is exercising on here. If you don't like what he is saying then come back with reasoned arguement.

I have been part of the RAF SH force for 17 years now and do not feel like I am in the RAF, cur me in half and you will find several Sqn badges representing my mates - those who i have gone to war with in every conflict we have fought in since Gulf One. That is who I am, the RAF is still driven by FJ mates (notwithstanding ACAS - good on ya!) but there is a generation of non FJ senior officers pushing through the higher echelons now, I hope they do a better job of representing the most operationally experienced force in this Air Force.

Minor rant over. :ok: