Disgusted At Marines Selling Their Stories.

[Kaos]

Families seem really proud when they watch their children/siblings at the 'passing out parade' but as soon as the children/siblings go into conflict they are the first to petticoat dance and demand that they get brought back home again and that they could get hurt in the fighting..................Hello, let's take a reality check, they joined to fight for Queen and Country, not to do an everlasting P.E lesson. You join the Forces then you fight as you are trained to do and when you stop fighting then you carry on training to be even better the next time

 

I absolutely agree with you there ('though I think it's probably the topic for another thread)?

 

 

They fight for queen and country yes but to say they should say that they should say name and rank and take whatever pushisment is dished out whilst under interrogation and false imprisonment? if that were my child, father, sister, brother, uncle, friend, then I'd want them to lie, cheat, give non sensitive information, and do whatever it took to bloody survive. To die because you were too proud to do more, jesus I'd be more than angry at them.

 

Agree with you on that one Mrs Bones.

Say whatever you have to......you're not much good to Queen, country, or anyone else dead!

 

 

but to then sell the story of how they falsely announced to the World that they were in a place they shouldn't be which cast doubt on the integrity of the country they were fighting for seems pretty 'off' to me.

Personally, I think I would want to keep quiet and hope the fuss died down quickly because, although I understand why they did what they did, I wouldn't be too proud of doing it. Why the MoD is allowing them to sell their stories beggars belief

 

I would have no guilt whatsoever in announcing anything, if I thought it would keep me alive.

I think their greatest victory was the fact that they all came home, safe and well.

Good on them, and let 'em shout it from the roof tops.

If it were me, I'm sure I'd be happy to let the world know!

[merledogs]

I think their greatest victory was the fact that they all came home, safe and well.

Good on them, and let 'em shout it from the roof tops.

Couldn't agree more. It's all very well to sit at home and say they should have not taken part in the propaganda, but if you were in their situation you would do exactly the same, ie anything to keep yourself alive.

 

Nobody here knows (yet) the extent of the pressure they were put under - Fay Turney has said that she was kept in a cell separated from the boys for 4 days and told they had all been released and she was on her own - thankfully none of us will ever know how frightening that feels or what sort of tricks that plays on your mind

 

This is a story that needs to be told, to show the world the other side of the story from the Iranian propaganda stunts and I for one have no problem with them making money out of it. I have no problem with any service person telling their story and getting paid for it, as long as they tell the truth and don't compromise security.

[murtle]

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever believe fully what ever is told from either side of this whole episode now

 

I have no faith in the press to report anything.....

 

I think they are best off letting the dust settle and moving on from it with the correct help and support.

 

xx

[BillyMalc]

One reason that was given for allowing these sailors to sell their story, was that this way the MoD could kind of keep tabs on what would be printed, and I can see their point. How often don't you read stories, which turn out to be all a pack of lies, that are said to be accounts of "a close friend", or "a relative", or "a source close to the family" (the postman more likely!)? This way at least some of the media will get the story first hand, which might just make it less interesting for the rest of them to publish a story based on hearsay. And of course those media enter a bidding war in order to get the story. Why not accept the money? It's better off in their pockets than in those of Rupert Murdoch or another media mogul. I just hope that they'll be giving more than just 10% to charity.

[KathyM]

I think they have the right to tell their side of the story - if they were forced into telling lies for Iranian TV, they have a right to tell the truth now. They have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about when it comes to having lied to survive, and it disappoints me that anyone in this country would think they had, considering what would've probably happened if they hadn't. None of us lot have been held captive and possibly threatened with our lives, so we aren't in a position to judge what they had to do to survive.

[Kathyw]

If the MoD had sent the marines for R&R somewhere in the middle east instead of bringing them back herer, this wouldn't have happened.

 

My worry is if the iraqis get hold of any more of our service personnel, those personnel will not fare so well.

 

It all about money and only money, I would respect them if they admitted that instead of the same old tripe that anyone 'selling their story' comes out with.

 

I always respected and support our service personnel, I have very different feelings now, I know most are what I always thought they were but I will always have a slightly less feeling for them now.

 

And if any more are taken hostage, I don't think the public will be screaming for their release as the majority of people seemed to be disgusted over this money grabbing.

 

They chose to go into the services, no-one made them go.

 

There will be jealousy over one getting more than the other, lies to 'pad' out the stories and while they are counting their money, others may well pay the price.

[Sherlock Bones]

Quite the contrary on the jealousy angle from what i've read so far of the media reports.

 

I don't think a kiss and tell to the Sun is really going to change or influence the Iranians to any great degree. The country obviously has their own rules and procedures for the treatment, kidnap and interrogation of a prisoner and quite honestly I think they'll revel in the fact that the western world knows they were thuggish.

 

I would welcome the selling of the stories of those who died. if their families could benefit from us reading how they were heroes and heroines, i say go for it.

 

Personally i believe if more are taken hostage now we know how badly they are treated we'll be screaming a lot harder and a lot louder, much quicker for their release. if we thought thay'd all had a nice jolly holiday at the expense of the iranians in tehran would we be so bothered? Don't think so.

[scotslass]

One reason that was given for allowing these sailors to sell their story, was that this way the MoD could kind of keep tabs on what would be printed, and I can see their point. How often don't you read stories, which turn out to be all a pack of lies, that are said to be accounts of "a close friend", or "a relative", or "a source close to the family" (the postman more likely!)? This way at least some of the media will get the story first hand, which might just make it less interesting for the rest of them to publish a story based on hearsay.

 

That's fine if you believe that you'll get the truth - whatever that is - from a MOD-censored source. I choose to believe very little of what anyone "official" tells me.

 

Also, the money is right back in the hands of the media moguls...they don't donate all that money to these people out of charity. It sells papers; end of story. More stories bought from these military personnel = more money for Murdoch, etc.

 

We're money-obsessed in this country of ours. I agree with KathyW and Tisaan.

[Helly]

for all the time these men and woman were being held, our media printed daily stories of what they 'thought' would be happening, what they 'thought' the iranians would be doing and saying, and happily commenting on the 'thoughts ' of our nation generally. Do these people who were there for real not have a right to tell it how it really was and give the details of what really happened to them, what they were really told, how they were locked up etc?

 

Im sure the MOD got the first shout on saying yea or nay to the stories before publish, to make sure no facts were given that wold jeapodise our troops in future captive situations, and i am sure the Iraqui rebels dont need to read what the Iranian army do to captives to get any ideas for themselves.

[scotslass]

for all the time these men and woman were being held, our media printed daily stories of what they 'thought' would be happening, what they 'thought' the iranians would be doing and saying, and happily commenting on the 'thoughts ' of our nation generally. Do these people who were there for real not have a right to tell it how it really was and give the details of what really happened to them, what they were really told, how they were locked up etc

 

Im sure the MOD got the first shout on saying yea or nay to the stories before publish, to make sure no facts were given that wold jeapodise our troops in future captive situations, and i am sure the Iraqui rebels dont need to read what the Iranian army do to captives to get any ideas for themselves.

 

I understand your stance, but I do not have your faith in the ability of government departments to make decisions about the safety of troops or anyone else. They've been wrong before.

 

Also, as others have said, the truth is sometimes humdrum, and the story may need to be embellished. I'll be giving no more credence to the "true" stories than any others. Papers don't sell on boring stories - they benefit from scare-mongering.

 

I'd like to know how global peace is going to be advanced by any of this. While we're pondering the rights and wrongs of what happens to military volunteers from the UK, innocent civilians are dying in conflicts all over this world of ours.

[libby]

what about 'the official secrets act'

 

i'm still covered by mine, and i haven't been in service for a few years.

 

i believe they should tell their side of things, but not for several years, when no harm can be done to fellow countrymen/women who could possibly be found in the same situation.

 

you have to rememeber, these people chose this line of work, and knew the risks they were taking.

 

there are MANY people, that get taken as hostages, here and abroad, that don't feel the 'need' to tell the world.

 

i fear that the great 'stiff british upper lip ' is a thing of the past, and we are fast becoming an emotional culture, that needs to show our feelings publically.

 

for myself.............................. i prefer my enemy, not to know what i'm thinking, or how afraid i might be

 

[Brierley]

I would have no guilt whatsoever in announcing anything, if I thought it would keep me alive.

 

Which is why I said, I agreed to a certain extent. I can understand why they went along with their captors. I wouldn't however, be proud of it which is what I think selling stories to newspapers comes across as being??

[KathyM]

I don't see it as being proud of it (although it saved their skins so they have no reason not to be proud IMO), I see it as them trying to clear their names. I heard some people talking about them in town before they were released and they were being called "pansies" for bowing to Iran and confessing. The way I see it is that those people have got a right cheek complaining about what the servicemen and woman did or didn't do when we're all sat here safe and not being threatened with imminent death. I'm not going to judge them personally for selling their story now when I can say I personally couldn't ever face what they faced, whether they chose the job or not. I think there's more shame in other aspects of this whole situation to be honest.

[ReikiAnge]

The way I see it is that those people have got a right cheek complaining about what the servicemen and woman did or didn't do when we're all sat here safe and not being threatened with imminent death. I'm not going to judge them personally for selling their story now when I can say I personally couldn't ever face what they faced, whether they chose the job or not.

 

I think this would sum up my feelings pretty well. They're doing a job I wouldn't want me or my loved ones to do for any money, so I don't really feel I'm in a position to criticise their decision to sell their story.

[ReikiAnge]

Faye's telling her "story" on ITV1 now.