If ISIS attack Turkey, we may all get to find out if we can deploy. I feel an Article 5 of the NATO Treaty being played here.:uhoh:

Time to parachute in our "Middle East Peace Envoy".

You know, the one who described the draw down of UK military forces as "The Peace Dividend".

I thought the so called 'Peace Dividend' started under John Major and the Wall falling.

'Middle East peace envoy' can we just omit the parachute please

ShyTorque, the irony wasn't lost on me either!

What we really need in this situation is a strong determined secularist leader in the region, perhaps Iraq would be best . Ideally one with a modern strong well equipped military , good security forces and a determination to stamp out radical islamist behaviour including not being too squeamish about what sort of weaponry he could use to do it.

Someone like that , who looked good in uniform, a beret and large moustache would be ideal although we might have to turn a nelsonian blind eye to some slightly more excessive actions and lack of respect for human rights.

However if it were possible to find such a character I am sure he would be able to deal with these scum and help the world as well as his own regime in say Iraq.

is this a credible idea or has its time passed?

Can any other country in the world.....
 

Lose interest in a war they are supposed to be fighting as quickly as this? The "air war" the RAF is waging has slipped off the news already, at least that can be the gained impression looking at the online newspapers (all I've got in way of media).
Why is this?
Why a lack of interest in the UK public?
Or does everyone think its just a "phoney war"? Not a "real" war? The scale being too small in comparison to more recent times?
I find it strange. Even callous. No doubt the real bombs falling are killing and maiming someone, somewhere.
I sort of sense (and I've nothing to really base this upon) that public support for the campaign is weak, and somehow wont last.
Have the UK public finally become indifferent>? Or they sense fighting terrorism futile?

Given the way their hostages are dealt with, I'm glad that the dithering buffoons in Downing Street have seen the light, and at least allowed some of our finest to participate. Eventually they will realise that the only way of sorting the creeps out will be boots on the ground. I can't think of a current MP who would have the cojones to support, let alone proffer such a policy. Perhaps it might be their worry of the reaction of their imported voters, at such a proposition. Whatever, I suspect that the current bunch see this more as a "media coup" than a balanced military decision.

Smudge:ok:

If IS are such a danger to everyone thereabouts why do WE have to put troops on thr ground?

Saudi, the UAE, Egypt, Iran all have well armed forces but it always seems to be the west who has to wade in - and start the whole circle over again...........

Is the UK still involved with this war?
 

There is very little coverage now of this in the online papers that I see ( I work offshore, have no TV and limited internet) from a point of describing the UKs role in it . Are the UK aircraft and UK forces in general still involved? Are our side (I assume we took a side) winning? (It looks badly as though they aren't).
If the Tornados are still involved, why such lack of interest on this website? if its a clampdown, for security reasons, Persec, all well and good and I will wind it in.
But is it a sign of the times when UK people risk their lives in combat abroad and little interest is expressed, even on Prune?
People say I live in the past and maybe I do, but I just find this...I don't know, disturbing.
What ever is going on, it appears IS are winning and are now right on the border of a NATO ally, looking at the Daily Telegraph. No debate on this at all?
My opinion-think we should still keep out, concentrate our defences around our own small precious group of islands.
Will IS attack Turkey? Is this likely?

.

Entirely agree BEagle.

As for the OP's queries, the RAF is of course fully capable of its present task (in a relatively benign situation), as are most of its allied Air Forces (I won't define the exceptions!). Sadly, its capability of expanding this task, on a much greater scale, in a more threatening environment, with sustenance, is unarguably, other than as a minor US helper, no longer possible - regardless of the UK Defence Secretary's belief (ref his Party Conf speech)!! Perhaps some would say, like it or not, that's where we are, or have been driven/let down over the past decade or two! My comments are politically directed.

Perish the thought of spreading Ebola. What a wicked thing to to think, NN. I should be ashamed of myself...:=

Kemal Ataturk perhaps?

What drop milllions of dollars of bombs from the relative safety of 40 thousand feet to make virtually no difference to the overall strategic situation?

No what we need to do is stop dictating western values of conflict and resolution to these countries governments. What we need to do is take our gloves off and stop fluffing around.

Hangarshuffle - I wonder if the lack of coverage is due to several issues.
Purely air-based campaigns can be difficult for media organisations to cover - especially TV broadcasters.
In the case of fast jet operations, they are entirely dependent on the air-force concerned releasing either Go-Pro footage from inside the cockpit (aka the excellent shots being shown here in Oz of the Super Hornet drivers flying) on board recordings of weapons hitting targets (which CDF Mark Binskin has specifically said the RAAF will not be releasing "it's not a video game; people are dying" was his quote), or the odd shot of fast jets gassing up from a tanker.
Getting in on the ground to verify battle damage appears to be particularly difficult here, given that journalists venturing into IS held areas end up getting their heads cut off.
I also wonder whether the airstrikes are proving as effective as quickly as had been hoped - even though the public had been warned this will be a long hard slog - there seems to have been very little public discussion of any progress made at all.
In short - there appears very little new material being released on a day to day basis.
So from an Editors point of view, it simply slips down the running order...
That's not to say I don't agree with previous posters that we should be in there killing IS.
Mrs T works in the media biz.
She showed me a shocking video last night of a row of innocent little kids, sat down in a row as if they were sitting on a school mat... before some IS pieces of sh!t shot them all in the back of the head.
You won't see that on your nightly news.
I had tears in my eyes.

Who is funding these Mad Mullah's? Can't we bomb them too? If there wasn't any money, the Mullah's wouldn't find it quite so easy to bamboozle some addled teenager from Dudley or West Bromwich into being cannon fodder for their insane and frankly evil Leaders.

I'm not suggesting that the fighters are doing it for money. After all they want to be martyred and in a way I'm glad that the Royal Air Force are dedicated to servicing that outcome, but these tw@ts came out of nowhere and suddenly have enough guns, ammunition and stores to frighten the juice out of the Iraqi Army. I believe that's where they got the heavy banging machinery?

Who is paying them and for the kit?

Roger

Good answer that from Tartare, yes agree and I wouldn't like to see that sort of thing on the TV news or elsewhere. Sad beyond belief.
Landoger other posters have indicated the money for this madness comes via the richer Arabian Gulf states. Its just beyond belief to me. I truly wish all our service people whoever they are, a safe return.
Couldn't think of a more opposite view for anyone returning to the UK who has been a fighter for any side in that region. Yet another unsolvable problem for the UK, what to do with the returnees?

A big bucket of sunshine could be the answer.

...I guess you mean bucket. Well, it's certainly one idea.

I did but was thinking of something else while typing :O amended accordingly.

...you mean your mind wasn't focussed on PPRuNe? Unbelievable!!! :ok: