The dirt bird (07-08-15)
Frank, I just get the feeling somehow, that if we had 44 discussions about this , we would be on either side of a brick wall beating our heads on it, about a throwaway comment by Westsidex.
Either he suggests the enrolled navy personnel should "man up" and cope with the rigours of the situation they find themselves in ......as might be expected of military personnel.
Or he is criticising some government comment about potential psychological effects on these personnel.
Either way it is merely one of Westsidex's usual bog standard, polemical comments and probably not imbued with too much thought or meaning , one way or another.
So I don't know why you are so exercised.
Kenton (08-08-15)
The whole situation is a farce- the people traffickers are laughing all the way to the bank- the EC have got Ireland and other eu countries to send ships - now the traffickers believe they only got to get to the ooen sea on any old rust bucket and they will be saved - but our guys couldn't even do that right-
Our guys couldn't do what right.
Some grossly over laden rust bucket tips over is something to do with "our guys".
But yes the traffickers now see , that pulling some deathtrap vessel to 15 miles or so from the Libyan coast is leading to European naval intervention.
There was some discussion a while back, about trying to deal with some of these vessels before they leave dry land.
Sinking or impounding some of these vessels before they put to sea, might be an option worthy of reconsideration.
Libya is likely going down the route of failed state anyway.
tom sand (08-08-15)
If we ever go to war,
Hope it's against the Faroes.
And Denmark and Britain stay neutral. .
Even then, I'm not sure.
Kenton (08-08-15)
I'd be more concerned if they weren't traumatised. And having said that I would imagine that some were and some were not.
How do you train people to deal with that sort of situation anyway? It's only by experiencing it that you find out whether you can cope with it or not.
Another thing is people don't realise what this country's servicemen and women have being doing for years in the Leb and elsewhere. There were times when picking up bodies and bits of bodies was a daily occurrence. Not to mention being shot and shelled themselves.
And the other day they weren't just looking at bodies - they saw them dying. They should be traumatised.
Libya is already a failed state....
And yes I agree - sink the ships-confiscate them. Fish in Libya already became expensive because fishermen are selling their boats to the traffickers....
Denmark handles the Foreign Affairs/ Defense of the Faroes as they belong to Denmark (though not to the EU).
I wouldn't mind if the Vikings would come back to Dublin
nonpareil (08-08-15)