COMMENTS:
i think the usaf commanders stationed in the uk are idiots. they caused a major issue between our two countries. there was some senator on tv the day of the subway attacks encouraging americans who were planning a vacation to go to london to show our support. yet, usaf commanders tell their personnel to avoid london for a while, even though washington told them to just warn the service personnel to be aware of their surroundings.
something tells me that a-hole moron rumsfeld screwed this up, just like everything else he is involved in.
Better safe than sorry, however, in this case, it seems as though they're safe and sorry.
it just makes them look like wimps. here a senator is telling americans to go to london, which i totally agree with, and the usaf is telling its own personnel to avoid londong for a few days. f-ing morons. i'm sure bush is livid at their incompetance.
While the next day there was a huge march past for the Queens Birthday ... and the US troops were hiding in their barracks ... that must have been sooooo embarassing. Phew saved by America again ...lmao
Please excuse the heavy sarcasm but in a way it is hilarious
Well the Air Force isnt exactly known for their bravery.
is that true, or is that whole comment a joke? lets keep this on track too though and not insult the us air force personnel. it was the bonehead military commanders. thats my point -- these guys make stupid decisions all the time. sure, send them to iraq and in direct harms way, but tell them to avoid one of the most beautiful and safest cities in world. they have everything reversed.
I see your point, Kev. And my comment about Air Force guys was just a little joke. When I was a Marine, we laughed about the other branches, but I respect EVERYONE who serves. Even those in other nations.
SORRY FLYBOYS, JUST KIDDING. I LOVE YOU GUYS.
^^ i had posted that in response to upstandingdude, but somehow your message got in between.
Its OK Kev I WAS talking about the Brass noe the poor embarrassed guys sitting in their barracks seething but it is funny, the policeman of the world watching from a safe distance.
They should have been told to be more alert, otherwise they should have gone about their business. I doubt london is more dangerous today than it was last month, the terrorists don't seem to do follow up attacks. But either way it does make the US military look bad. I don't really care about offending anyone, that's really a minor issue at the moment, but looking weak will not help us win this war.
In a way military strength IS a weakness against Guerrila warfare/insurgancy the bigger a target is the greater the chance of success. I just find it hard to call this a war, we have had so many non-wars to feel involved .. we had the cold war, war on drugs/ terror I even heard the expression war on storms the other day. What do our collective governments want us to do about the weather?
I ramble a bit dont I
King Canute will show the way.
LOL, or drown ...
Why are the Brits offended by this?
thc, offended might not be the best word. justifiably angry and diappointed is more like it. we would be too. the main reason is because it does send a message to the terrorists that in some way, they got their way. secondly, that is not how allies are supposed to support one another. now granted, this was just the commanders of the usaf stationed in the uk issuing this, so it was not something that came from washington, but still. we have politiicans here telling us to all take our vacations in london (which we should) and then the military brass telling our armed forces to avoid london. makes the air force look kind of lame, don't you think?
A public relations disaster. How embarrassing.
I think such warnings should be issued only when there is specific credible piece of information about terrorist organization planning to attack specifically that group in that place, and to publish those facts too. In this case, I think there wasn't any specific threat against usaf personnel, and the proximity to the attacks, do send wrong message. However, if there had actually been specific warnings, you can't just stand by the side, watching it happens.
by Yosi on Tue Jul 12, 05 10:35am
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^ agree. i strike it up to poor judgement on the part of the usaf commanders. yosi, in israel, are warnings issued often? how does it work since israel always seems to be under threat of terrorism. i'm interested in knowing what warning system is in place and how it is communicated to the citizens.
I find it funny all his talk of defeating terrorism and not letting the terrorist change our way of life, yet some US guy at the top issues a warning to US service men to stay out of London, because a 4 bombs went off.You have more chance of being shot in the US than being blown up in London.
by isay on Tue Jul 12, 05 11:17am
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We will fight them on the tube trains we will fight them on the Buses we will never surrender or be shit scared to go shopping in London.
by isay on Tue Jul 12, 05 11:21am
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according to the latest news, the ban has been lifted. no doubt once washington found out about the ban, someone raised hell and told them to lift it. bet someone in the air force is in trouble. here's is a news snipet:
The advice banning thousands of American servicemen and women based in Britain from entering London in the wake of the terrorist attacks has been lifted.
Members of the US Air Force stationed at two RAF bases in Suffolk had been instructed not to go within the M25 until further notice.
The move to lift the ban followed criticism from police, politicians and tourism officials in the capital.
'Not smart'
The directive, issued on Thursday, was considered by the US authorities to be the most effective measure to protect their troops.
Personnel were told not to enter the capital until further notice, except on official business, and their families were encouraged to do the same.
But the move was roundly condemned across the capital.
If you mean warnings about potential terrorist action in Israel's soil, it works like this : The Israeli security forces are dealing with dozens of warnings a day, some of them are very general - about intention to perform... but some are specific - time, place etc. The public isn't informed about the threats themselves, but the media reports on the number of those warnings - in the peak of the Intifada it was like 80-90 a day, now I think it revolves around 30, the public recieves specific warnings only when it's described as almost evident, and it usually refers to the immediate time, and the city/region is also reported. We don't recieve a "don't go to ... in the next ..." kind of warnings, they are simply reporting about the warning. The frequency of those warnings are about once a month. I can't say that nobody concludes according to the warning that perhaps he shouldn't be there, but those cities doesn't become ghost cities, after such warning
by Yosi on Tue Jul 12, 05 3:12pm
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Kev, you must smoke some good weed, where can we get some of that
couchgnome, have no idea what you're talking about. you might want to expand on your comment.
It is somewhat annoying to find out that American service personnel are told to stay outside of the London orbital motorway, when at the same time your president is telling the world how America is standing by and supporting Britain at this time, what a contradiction that is, it just gives me one more reason to believe that your president is just full of hot air and that his word means nothing.
minni, the warning to stay out came from usaf command in the uk, not the president. the white house says they knew nothing about the order and they told the usaf command to lift the ban. i tend to believe that, as all reports inidicate that the usaf command acted on their own.
what i find disturbing is that you have our government telling us to go to london to show support, which again, i agree we should and then usaf commander tell their personnel not to. bunch of wimps. anyway, the ban has been lifted, but still, for the 2 days it was in effect, i think it was wrong and sent the wrong message. i belive anyone who can go to london should go to show the terrorists they can't change our lives.
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