Robert

"Lead" is too good a word to use in the same sentence for Obama.

Wolf, there is no more Al Qeda, President Obama himself said so. :=


And as we well know, President Obama is never wrong.

It's not his fault that he's never wrong.

It's Bush's fault! ;)

I really hate that guy, for his actions (or lack of actions) in Benghazi. Giving the order for a Special Forces team to go in and get those guys out of there could have saved all of their lives, instead they were overrun by hundreds and were killed. I have no time for a Commander-in-Chief who doesn't stand by his men, (two of) the same men whose branch gave him glory just months earlier.

RAF Tornados sent to West Africa - IHS Jane's 360

So that's Tornados in Afghanistan (and training to go), Syria, and now West Africa. Has the force ever been so busy (especially given that it's never been so small)?

And about to get another Sqn smaller!

Is it? My understanding is that it will remain at 3 sqns until OSD in 2019. Is this not correct?

II go in Mar 15. So I guess it depends if you count 15(R) as a sqn alongside IX(B) and 31. I wouldn't as they don't do ops.

The last I was told was that 15 Sqn would disband sometime in 2015 but that 2, 9, and 31 Sqns would continue through to OSD, which would make more sense Will have to take another look.

II are definitely going. 9 and 31 will remain to OSD.

Indeed II to go in Mar 15 reforming as the 5th typhoon squadron. Won't leave much of a FE@R to play with.

BBC News - UK sending arms to Iraq government


Heavy machine guns and ammunition are being donated to Iraq to help fight Islamic State militants, the Ministry of Defence says.


Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the equipment was worth about £1.6m, and there would be an estimated £475,000 in transport costs.

Chicken feed, but a lot more than they are giving to the Ukraine. One wonder sif its worth the PR, considering Iraqi is supposed to be an ally that I thought we where arming anyway?

"Come back, Ottoman Empire - all is forgiven !" (British Empire wasn't all bad, either)

".......The evil that men do lives after them......." (1918 ?)

Doesn't worry me much now, anyway (nunc dimittis...)

D.

No, I don't think so.
The sack of Constantinople and desecration of the Haga Sofia cathedral is not forgiven. :mad: Glad to see the Ottoman Empire put to bed.

How much sense does it make for UK forces to go on the offensive just in Iraq, but NOT in Syria?


I don't think that IS are that concerned with national boundaries.

No but we are - Labour will no doubt have set the geo limit to appease sections of their party rightly nervous after Blair's efforts.

The key difference is that Iraqi leadership have asked us for help to sustain their beautiful and peaceful fully democratic state through the removal of a bunch of terrorist scumbags.

Thus, we can hold our heads up high as loyal supporters of a friendly ally and maintainers of world peace - without any legal implications to muddy the waters.

Syria, on the other hand, has not asked for our help. We therefore have absolutely no sovereign or legal right to fly in their airspace with any military aircraft, let alone fully armed combat jets.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if Assad did plead for help via the UN :eek:

Wether we drop in eye-rack on Syria is largely immaterial IMO. The few pw4 or brims we throw in the mix is like trying to fcuk a wet welly top. It's all about politicians looking good.

I think the question mark can be safely dropped now that the Government have, this evening, approved offensive operations

Fingers crossed with the lack of media coverage in country, we can go in F@ck them up good and proper this time and not finish with them till all the uk born Islamist traitors have been turned into Palm tree fertiliser.

It's about time these twats learnt that poking dangerous animals with sticks gets you hurt.