"The Circle" can VC recipient.

Nick's current affairs & general discussion about anything that's not sport.
Voice your opinion on stories of interest to all at Nick's.

Moderator: bbmods

Post Reply
User avatar
David
Posts: 50690
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 4:04 pm
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
Has liked: 20 times
Been liked: 84 times

Post by David »

"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence." – Julian Assange
User avatar
Bruce Gonsalves
Posts: 848
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2012 3:17 pm
Has liked: 2 times
Been liked: 8 times

Post by Bruce Gonsalves »

Having visited the War Memorial in Canberra a couple of times, on display is/was BRS millitary uniform. The size of this guy with all of the paraphernalia attached would of made him look like something out of a sci-fi flick.

I have no doubt with his intimidating looks and size fellow soldiers may well of just toed the line. Also these little Afghan fellows would have been scared witless of him.
User avatar
stui magpie
Posts: 54850
Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 10:10 am
Location: In flagrante delicto
Has liked: 134 times
Been liked: 169 times

Post by stui magpie »

He's 200cm tall and back then absolutely chiseled. In full gear he would have been indeed a frightening sight
Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down.
User avatar
Pies4shaw
Posts: 34888
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:14 pm
Has liked: 136 times
Been liked: 182 times

Post by Pies4shaw »

More adverse press: even his private investigator has severed contact with him (and the PI says he called BR-S a "weak dog" when they last spoke): https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-23/ ... /100853260
User avatar
think positive
Posts: 40243
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:33 pm
Location: somewhere
Has liked: 342 times
Been liked: 105 times

Post by think positive »

stui magpie wrote:He's 200cm tall and back then absolutely chiseled. In full gear he would have been indeed a frightening sight
hmmm id describe him a different way!!!! carry on!!
You cant fix stupid, turns out you cant quarantine it either!
User avatar
David
Posts: 50690
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 4:04 pm
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
Has liked: 20 times
Been liked: 84 times

Post by David »

Pies4shaw wrote:More adverse press: even his private investigator has severed contact with him (and the PI says he called BR-S a "weak dog" when they last spoke): https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-23/ ... /100853260
I guess the biggest revelation in all this isn't so much that Roberts-Smith is a ruthless psycho; all sorts of people exist in the world. It's that a ruthless psycho like him was able to rise so high in the military ranks and end up being in a position to decide whether Afghan civilians lived or died. That's the really chilling thing, for me.
"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence." – Julian Assange
User avatar
Pies4shaw
Posts: 34888
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:14 pm
Has liked: 136 times
Been liked: 182 times

Post by Pies4shaw »

Really? I take that as a given.
User avatar
think positive
Posts: 40243
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:33 pm
Location: somewhere
Has liked: 342 times
Been liked: 105 times

Post by think positive »

Yep!
You cant fix stupid, turns out you cant quarantine it either!
User avatar
stui magpie
Posts: 54850
Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 10:10 am
Location: In flagrante delicto
Has liked: 134 times
Been liked: 169 times

Post by stui magpie »

Being able to kill people in cold blood is either a natural inclination or a learned skill. Regardless of acquisition, you don't get to the SAS without it.
Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down.
User avatar
Pies4shaw
Posts: 34888
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:14 pm
Has liked: 136 times
Been liked: 182 times

Post by Pies4shaw »

User avatar
think positive
Posts: 40243
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:33 pm
Location: somewhere
Has liked: 342 times
Been liked: 105 times

Post by think positive »

If thereis proof of that, that’s murder 1.

And, sadly my first thought was, ‘the donkey?’
You cant fix stupid, turns out you cant quarantine it either!
User avatar
Pies4shaw
Posts: 34888
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:14 pm
Has liked: 136 times
Been liked: 182 times

Post by Pies4shaw »

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-15/ ... /100910542
A former soldier has told a Sydney court he saw Ben Roberts-Smith shoot an unarmed Afghan man in the back in an "exhibition execution" the decorated veteran "wanted people to see".

The former Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) soldier, codenamed Person 24, became emotional as he described the "heartbreaking" impact he said Mr Roberts-Smith's alleged actions during the war in Afghanistan had had on his colleagues.

...

Person 24 yesterday told the Federal Court that he saw Mr Roberts-Smith shoot the unarmed Afghan in the back with a machine gun outside a Taliban compound during a mission in April 2009.

Mr Roberts-Smith denies the allegation and says a man he killed was an armed insurgent whom he had engaged legitimately.

Today, Person 24 stood by his evidence and said Mr Roberts-Smith had "no reason" to exit the compound with the Afghan man.

He described it as an "exhibition execution" that Mr Roberts-Smith "wanted people to see".

Person 24, who was called as a witness by publisher Nine Entertainment, told the court that "good soldiers" had been adversely affected by Mr Roberts-Smith's conduct.
User avatar
Pies4shaw
Posts: 34888
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:14 pm
Has liked: 136 times
Been liked: 182 times

Post by Pies4shaw »

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-16/ ... /100913826
An elite soldier has told a Sydney court war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith once declared he was going to "choke a man to death" and "watch the life drain out of his eyes" in Afghanistan.

....

The witness, codenamed Person 7, told the Federal Court the alleged choking comment was made in the days after Sergeant Blaine Diddams was killed on a mission in Afghanistan in 2012.

He said he was in a "ready room" preparing his assault bag when he heard Mr Roberts-Smith behind him say: "Hey mate, I'm going to talk the talk I want you to make sure I walk the walk."

Person 7 claimed Mr Roberts-Smith then said: "Before this trip's over, I'm going to choke a man to death with my bare hands, I'm going to look him in the eye and I'm going to watch the life drain out of his eyes."

Mr Roberts-Smith denied making the comment when he gave evidence last year, dismissing it as "ridiculous".
User avatar
think positive
Posts: 40243
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:33 pm
Location: somewhere
Has liked: 342 times
Been liked: 105 times

Post by think positive »

how come none of this was reported to his comqanding officers at the time? you would think if there was someone walking around doing all this, more than 1 person would say something.
You cant fix stupid, turns out you cant quarantine it either!
User avatar
David
Posts: 50690
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2003 4:04 pm
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
Has liked: 20 times
Been liked: 84 times

Post by David »

For those keeping track, how many witnesses to Roberts-Smith committing or threatening to commit war crimes are we up to now? These killings seem to be a hell of a lot better documented than most murders that actually get successfully prosecuted.
"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence." – Julian Assange
Post Reply