Jenifer (Zarknorph) said:

An investigation into the fatal 2017 Australia Day plane crash finds the pilot breached procedures before his aircraft stalled at an unrecoverable height.

Manufactured from 1946 to 1951

Jenifer (Zarknorph) said:

Australian man Timothy Weeks is finally freed after over three years as a hostage of the Taliban.

What are people doing going into war-zones, operating as part of an occupation and recruiting collaborators like this?

Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan, putting himself wholly at the mercy of locals. Dunno how he did it.

The Places In Between - Drama - In January 2002, Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan just after the fall of the Taliban. Surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers, this dramatisation tells the story of this epic journey.

Jenifer (Zarknorph) said:

Sergeant Kevin Frost, a fearless Australian commando who went public three years ago about his involvement in an alleged war crime in Afghanistan, has died.

We knew this was happening - and even when (as in the US case that Trump pardoned) we do nothing about it. And indeed, punish those who try to expose it or stop it.

I was pretty devastated to learn the ending to this once ennobling story:

On the 19th March 2003, Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Collins was the 42-year-old commander of the Royal Irish battle group. The day before they invaded Iraq, he spoke to his 800 troops at Fort Blair Mayne desert camp in Kuwait, some 20 miles south of the Iraqi border, and said:

"We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.

"There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.

"Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.

... "If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family. "The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.

"If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer. You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation. ... "As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there. "Our business now is north." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2866581.stm

... After serving in the Iraq War Tim Collins was accused by US Army reservist Major Re Biastre of the mistreatment of Iraqi civilians and prisoners of war. Following an investigation by the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police, he was cleared of any wrongdoing. He later won substantial undisclosed libel damages from both the Sunday Express and the Sunday Mirror newspapers.[16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3593027.stm ]

Fewer British people know that the British Army took its revenge, making these allegations against him - and he had to fight through the courts without any help from his employer:

Belfast-born Col Collins, 43, was widely praised when he told his soldiers: "If you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory."

The Sunday Express newspaper reported in May that Colonel Collins had stood by as a henchman of Saddam Hussein's was allegedly doused in petrol, set alight then shot.

In the High Court, the newspaper accepted the allegations were untrue and should not have been published.

Colonel Collins was also awarded damages against the Sunday Mirror which reported that there had been an MOD investigation into a claim that nine Iraqi soldiers had been shot dead while surrendering to members of his regiment.

... After the hearing, the officer's solicitor, Ernie Telford, said his client was delighted to "have been vindicated of such distressing and unfounded allegations".

"This is one fight he had to win. He has been to hell and back," he added.

"This was a hugely important issue he had to fight on his own. He is used to leading his men into conflict for a cause which he believes is right and just, but this time he was by himself.

"He put his reputation and his financial security on the line, but he has emerged a stronger person for the experience. "http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3593027.stm

Tim Collins was the only person accused of anything like that - something I find extremely curious!

He won his damages in April 2003 - and Tim Collins' career in the British Army was over 4 months later.

In fairness, Her Majesty recognised him for what he'd done. Surely only after he'd been blackmailed into silence on what else he knew. He would face even more fraudulent allegations that, this time, he would not be able to fight.

Col Collins was awarded an OBE, after being cleared of alleged war crimes committed during the conflict.

He is due to leave the army in August. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3593027.stm

(ie 5th August 2004, a little over a year after he made his inspiring speech).

Suicide among ex-service men is always a bad risk.

It was probably compounded by him coming forward.

Jenifer (Zarknorph) said:

Suicide among ex-service men is always a bad risk. It was probably compounded by him coming forward.

Driven to it by the complete rejection of others who are much more guilty of atrocities.

I've long been thinking we were rushing towards WW3 - but I'm now inclining to think that its Holocaust II we're actually heading for first. Blame Climate Catastrophe on the brown people and wipe out billions in the Middle East and in Africa.

Still be stuck with billions more and stuck with the yellow people - so maybe after doing half the job we'll ratchet the effort up to WW3.