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Libya

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

on the back of news that the french have open fired on Libya are you pro or against us going in?

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By *waymanMan
over a year ago

newcastle


"on the back of news that the french have open fired on Libya are you pro or against us going in?"

Doesn't to seem to matter now. Welcome to the world's worst wake, where we celebrate the fact that we sat on our hands for weeks while people fought and died by sending in a few planes in the hope no-one gets killed and Cameron doesn't get embarassed.

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"on the back of news that the french have open fired on Libya are you pro or against us going in?"

on this occasion.. i think the UN have got the resolution spot on....

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"on the back of news that the french have open fired on Libya are you pro or against us going in?

Doesn't to seem to matter now. Welcome to the world's worst wake, where we celebrate the fact that we sat on our hands for weeks while people fought and died by sending in a few planes in the hope no-one gets killed and Cameron doesn't get embarassed."

...and not just in that country. The fight for democracy is spreading throughout the middle east like wildfire

how far do we take it?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Choice A) lots of handwringing, tut-tutting and mutterings about how we shouldn't let madmen kill their own civilians.

Choice B) Get stuck in and do something about it regardless of the cost of doing so because to do nothing makes our lovely words about democracy and freedom absolutely worthless.

~

Choice B) for me, ta.

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"Choice A) lots of handwringing, tut-tutting and mutterings about how we shouldn't let madmen kill their own civilians.

Choice B) Get stuck in and do something about it regardless of the cost of doing so because to do nothing makes our lovely words about democracy and freedom absolutely worthless.

~

Choice B) for me, ta."

i agree.

how do we pay for it?

who are we sending in when we are decreasing the size of our forces?

why stop at Libya? Why aren't we helping other countries under such similar regimes?

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By *ustyWoman
over a year ago

inverclyde

we have enough of our forces involved with afgahn etc and lost enough lives due to the conflicts, bring our forces back and let them get on with it, i have lost family and friends over the years in the dif conflicts and i still shead a tear when they bring the bodies back to lyneham

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By *waymanMan
over a year ago

newcastle


"Choice A) lots of handwringing, tut-tutting and mutterings about how we shouldn't let madmen kill their own civilians.

Choice B) Get stuck in and do something about it regardless of the cost of doing so because to do nothing makes our lovely words about democracy and freedom absolutely worthless.

~

Choice B) for me, ta."

Same for me - but then I supported the war in Iraq as well...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"on the back of news that the french have open fired on Libya are you pro or against us going in?"

were a small nation,let someone else fight another mans battle for a change , austria perhaps...or denmark..norway? why do we feel the need to interfere, arent enough of our young men and women being killed in another country at the minute to worry about sending another few thousand somewhere else to be shot at ,and for what!

i wish the politicians would just keep their fucking noses out if it saves one british soldier from being killed or injured

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Makes me wonder if our lot went "mad" who would rescue us if anyone pmsl xx

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Makes me wonder if our lot went "mad" who would rescue us if anyone pmsl xx "

I thought that has crossed my mind more than once!

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

As soon as the Libyan government announced this afternoon that British/Dutch/French/German Oil workers must return within 7 days to resume work on the oil fields, or lose their contracts to the Indian and Chinese governments...

We were always going to go in and wreck Gadaffi's party.

The Chinese have been arming Gadaffi for a couple of years....in all likelyhood in order to become the sole oil export destination for Libya.

We are living in the real world now....the one that depends on affordable oil

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"

Choice B) for me, ta.

Same for me - but then I supported the war in Iraq as well..."

...but what do we know about these 'rebels'? do we know what they want? other than to overthrow the existing government that is.

there seems to be a small pocket that don't have the support of a nation and we are trying to safeguard them and encourage them to march onto tripoli and overthrow gaddafi.

what we don't seem to know is what they represent

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

a definite no from me sick and tired of fighting othe rcountries wars, have spent the last 20 yrs being sent to shit holes that had nothing to do with england , and yes i am english not british, i joined the army to protect my country , not be the international police force of 3rd world shitholes , and where do i find myself right now , in a 3rd world shithole called afghanistan for the 3rd time , god i can not wait to be a civvy

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Choice A) lots of handwringing, tut-tutting and mutterings about how we shouldn't let madmen kill their own civilians.

Choice B) Get stuck in and do something about it regardless of the cost of doing so because to do nothing makes our lovely words about democracy and freedom absolutely worthless.

~

Choice B) for me, ta.

i agree.

how do we pay for it?

who are we sending in when we are decreasing the size of our forces?

why stop at Libya? Why aren't we helping other countries under such similar regimes?"

With what happened in Egypt and Tunisia I can only summise that the powers that be were hoping Libya would go the same way - a few deaths but an overall peaceful transfer of power. When it became clear that Gadaffi would utilise his entire armed forces against his own people we couldn't stand by and do nothing. Imagine the carnage if Gadaffi had been allowed to roll his tanks into Benghazi unchecked, he'd have brutally masacred thousands of rebels.

Like Saddam, this nutter has to go, but I think the Arab League could have done a little bit more.

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"As soon as the Libyan government announced this afternoon that British/Dutch/French/German Oil workers must return within 7 days to resume work on the oil fields, or lose their contracts to the Indian and Chinese governments...

We were always going to go in and wreck Gadaffi's party.

The Chinese have been arming Gadaffi for a couple of years....in all likelyhood in order to become the sole oil export destination for Libya.

We are living in the real world now....the one that depends on affordable oil"

between 2005/09 we exported £119m worth of arms to Libya

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By *plpxp2Couple
over a year ago

Middlesbrough

Its a strange world when we have to cut back, cut public services, sack the armed forces and yet we still seem to have the money to be the worlds policeman. Would anyone be interested if the country didn't have oil?

Civil wars have been raging in Africe for years with hundereds of thousands killed and the world ignores it.

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"

how do we pay for it?

who are we sending in when we are decreasing the size of our forces?

why stop at Libya? Why aren't we helping other countries under such similar regimes?

With what happened in Egypt and Tunisia I can only summise that the powers that be were hoping Libya would go the same way - a few deaths but an overall peaceful transfer of power. When it became clear that Gadaffi would utilise his entire armed forces against his own people we couldn't stand by and do nothing. Imagine the carnage if Gadaffi had been allowed to roll his tanks into Benghazi unchecked, he'd have brutally masacred thousands of rebels.

Like Saddam, this nutter has to go, but I think the Arab League could have done a little bit more."

as i said, i don't disagree, but we have seen our guys these past few years fighting in the middle east and crippled in that fight by poor equipment....the reason being is that the mod budget is over-stretched.

how do we sustain this?

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By *pitfiresCouple
over a year ago

East

How do we pay for it ? ....we don't !!

As per every other western economy for the past decade we just print more money and hope the problem goes away

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

why should it always be us that steps in?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Cue the jeeps of Al Gaeda from Yemen to Tripoli and Bengazi ...if Gaddafi takes the engagement to the steets and uses the populace as human shields....

Happy days fer Iran ..

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay


"As soon as the Libyan government announced this afternoon that British/Dutch/French/German Oil workers must return within 7 days to resume work on the oil fields, or lose their contracts to the Indian and Chinese governments...

We were always going to go in and wreck Gadaffi's party.

The Chinese have been arming Gadaffi for a couple of years....in all likelyhood in order to become the sole oil export destination for Libya.

We are living in the real world now....the one that depends on affordable oil

between 2005/09 we exported £119m worth of arms to Libya"

Independent British companies may of, that is the big difference, the Chinese military and ordenance companies are all government owned.

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By *b430Man
over a year ago

Tayside


"why should it always be us that steps in? "

It's not only just us though

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By (user no longer on site)
Forum Mod

over a year ago


"Makes me wonder if our lot went "mad" who would rescue us if anyone pmsl xx "

I seriously doubt if any of our lot have the ooomph or tenacity to get up off their lazy arses to even bother

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"As soon as the Libyan government announced this afternoon that British/Dutch/French/German Oil workers must return within 7 days to resume work on the oil fields, or lose their contracts to the Indian and Chinese governments...

We were always going to go in and wreck Gadaffi's party.

The Chinese have been arming Gadaffi for a couple of years....in all likelyhood in order to become the sole oil export destination for Libya.

We are living in the real world now....the one that depends on affordable oil"

so that explains why china wouldnt back the resolution!

i wonder if russia is in the same boat?

x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"a definite no from me sick and tired of fighting othe rcountries wars, have spent the last 20 yrs being sent to shit holes that had nothing to do with england , and yes i am english not british, i joined the army to protect my country , not be the international police force of 3rd world shitholes , and where do i find myself right now , in a 3rd world shithole called afghanistan for the 3rd time , god i can not wait to be a civvy "
keep your head down mate and lets hope the clowns that run this country grow a set and get you all out of there

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay


"a definite no from me sick and tired of fighting othe rcountries wars, have spent the last 20 yrs being sent to shit holes that had nothing to do with england , and yes i am english not british, i joined the army to protect my country , not be the international police force of 3rd world shitholes , and where do i find myself right now , in a 3rd world shithole called afghanistan for the 3rd time , god i can not wait to be a civvy "

Sorry to say this, and no disrespect here, but British Armed Forces have spent the last Two hundred years fighting conflicts overseas....it never started when you joined up, so you must have been aware of that when you signed on the dotted line.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"why should it always be us that steps in?

It's not only just us though "

no but theres plenty of others that never do

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

yes fighting conflicts that had a british intrest , ie we were defending or expanding the empire , just explain to me what intrest britain has in , bosnia , kosovo, rawanda, iraq and afghanistan , which are just a few to name that i have had the pleasure over the last decade to find myself in

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

the figures of what we have sold to libya since 2005 are as follows (in euros):

ammunition & fuses

3,088

tear gas / chemical weapons / radioactive

455,705m

electronic equipment

26.163,548

military planes

15,780,000

small guns

283,942

we are the third largest EU exporter behind italy and france.

so...we sell them all this military warfare then go in and fight against our own weapons?

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay


"yes fighting conflicts that had a british intrest , ie we were defending or expanding the empire , just explain to me what intrest britain has in , bosnia , kosovo, rawanda, iraq and afghanistan , which are just a few to name that i have had the pleasure over the last decade to find myself in "

If you don't understand what you were doing in the Balkans or Rwanda then I can't begin to explain it to you....I would have thought you knew damn well why you were there.

I guess you really do know.....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"yes fighting conflicts that had a british intrest , ie we were defending or expanding the empire , just explain to me what intrest britain has in , bosnia , kosovo, rawanda, iraq and afghanistan , which are just a few to name that i have had the pleasure over the last decade to find myself in

If you don't understand what you were doing in the Balkans or Rwanda then I can't begin to explain it to you....I would have thought you knew damn well why you were there.

I guess you really do know....."

defending queen and country?

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By *aucy3Couple
over a year ago

glasgow

the west has propped up,and supported,many dictatorships,over the years.

in the middle east,africa,and south america.some of these regimes,had horrendous human rights records,against their own people.

on other occasions,they have chosen to ignore,dictatorships,or apply pointless sanctions.against countries committing human rights atrocities,against their own people.

so lets not kid ourselves,that this conflict has anything to do,with human rights,or morality.

it's only about oil,like iraq.

it's another conflict,on the back of a lie.

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"yes fighting conflicts that had a british intrest , ie we were defending or expanding the empire , just explain to me what intrest britain has in , bosnia , kosovo, rawanda, iraq and afghanistan , which are just a few to name that i have had the pleasure over the last decade to find myself in "

so in bosnia, kosovo and rawanda the fact there was a genocide going on isn't good enough for you.... wow.....

I am a human being first and foremost... and it is stops people comitting "crimes against Humanity", then that is good enough for me

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

rawanda and bosnia was not defending queen and country it was splitting up to factions who acted and behaved like animals, my arguement is why should our army be used to sort out the arguements of other factions who have no respect for human kind or themselves , and it is us who endure the suffering , if you truly believe the croatians wernt just as bad as the bosnians or serbians then you dont understand the balkans and equally the hutsies were just as bad as the tutsies in rawanda , animals the lot of them

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"yes fighting conflicts that had a british intrest , ie we were defending or expanding the empire , just explain to me what intrest britain has in , bosnia , kosovo, rawanda, iraq and afghanistan , which are just a few to name that i have had the pleasure over the last decade to find myself in

so in bosnia, kosovo and rawanda the fact there was a genocide going on isn't good enough for you.... wow.....

I am a human being first and foremost... and it is stops people comitting "crimes against Humanity", then that is good enough for me"

very easy to say when you're not the one holding a gun.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'm dead against the UK poking their noses into what doesn't concern them.

If I remember rightly we helped get rid of a certain Mr Hussain in an effort to make Iraq a better place ....

That worked didn't it ?

So lets get involved once again, why not eh ??

Oil ? who mentioned oil ?

No, I'm not cynical ... ??

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"yes fighting conflicts that had a british intrest , ie we were defending or expanding the empire , just explain to me what intrest britain has in , bosnia , kosovo, rawanda, iraq and afghanistan , which are just a few to name that i have had the pleasure over the last decade to find myself in

so in bosnia, kosovo and rawanda the fact there was a genocide going on isn't good enough for you.... wow.....

I am a human being first and foremost... and it is stops people comitting "crimes against Humanity", then that is good enough for me

very easy to say when you're not the one holding a gun.

"

so would you rather we just watched people die in the most gruesome ways... and then say "sorry... not my problem guv!" and wash your hands of it all....

if you sign up for the army... you have to know you will be in certain situations...

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

A list of the nations who contributed troops to the Rwandan peacekeeping force;

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, India, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Slovak Republic, Spain, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

They were there to stop mass genocide....if that's not a good enough reason then I don't know what is.

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"

so would you rather we just watched people die in the most gruesome ways... and then say "sorry... not my problem guv!" and wash your hands of it all....

if you sign up for the army... you have to know you will be in certain situations..."

no, i wouldn't.

though, libya isn't the only country that is living under such a regime...not even the worst.

libya issued a statement to say there would be no further conflict and before they could even prove that the french have gone in.

our men join the defence service to defend...this is not defence, it's attack.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

no if you sign up for the army you expect to defend your country not go sticking our noses into every despots businees all over the world , if you feel so strongly about human rights , get yourself down to the recruiting office, join up and who knows next year you may get your wish of being in a hovel defending some countries people who have caused there own problems and dont give 2 shits about you, but then i guess your opinion might change when it might actualy be you in the fring line , like so many of the other arm chair warriors , i joined to protect my queen and country , my country not the world , that is the oath i swore , it certainly was not to go and intefere in countries that are of no interest to britain

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By *b430Man
over a year ago

Tayside


"

so would you rather we just watched people die in the most gruesome ways... and then say "sorry... not my problem guv!" and wash your hands of it all....

if you sign up for the army... you have to know you will be in certain situations...

no, i wouldn't.

though, libya isn't the only country that is living under such a regime...not even the worst.

libya issued a statement to say there would be no further conflict and before they could even prove that the french have gone in.

our men join the defence service to defend...this is not defence, it's attack.

"

I think you might find that the French "have gone in" because the Lybian Forces had no intention of stopping what they were doing and were carrying on regardless of the announcement the Lybian Government made!

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"

so would you rather we just watched people die in the most gruesome ways... and then say "sorry... not my problem guv!" and wash your hands of it all....

if you sign up for the army... you have to know you will be in certain situations...

no, i wouldn't.

though, libya isn't the only country that is living under such a regime...not even the worst.

libya issued a statement to say there would be no further conflict and before they could even prove that the french have gone in.

our men join the defence service to defend...this is not defence, it's attack.

"

the "ceasefire"... okay... not been watch sky news, cnn, bbc news and al jazeera today then.... hmmm

so when gadaffi said "he will not spare anyone in bengazhi" yesterday.... spoken like a man of peace... and then the warnings today.....

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"

the "ceasefire"... okay... not been watch sky news, cnn, bbc news and al jazeera today then.... hmmm

so when gadaffi said "he will not spare anyone in bengazhi" yesterday.... spoken like a man of peace... and then the warnings today.....

"

i'm watching it now...i'm watching the rebel plane that was shot down by the rebel army.

it's all a little convenient...we sat by and watched for too long and responded too quickly for it to seem anything other than convenient

i hope not one drop of british blood is shed out there....more so, i hope not one british soldier dies by a british made arm and a british made bullet

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"no if you sign up for the army you expect to defend your country not go sticking our noses into every despots businees all over the world , if you feel so strongly about human rights , get yourself down to the recruiting office, join up and who knows next year you may get your wish of being in a hovel defending some countries people who have caused there own problems and dont give 2 shits about you, but then i guess your opinion might change when it might actualy be you in the fring line , like so many of the other arm chair warriors , i joined to protect my queen and country , my country not the world , that is the oath i swore , it certainly was not to go and intefere in countries that are of no interest to britain "

very true its easy to have an opinion when in the safety of your own home

give it a go i say and then see if you still agree

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay


"no if you sign up for the army you expect to defend your country not go sticking our noses into every despots businees all over the world , if you feel so strongly about human rights , get yourself down to the recruiting office, join up and who knows next year you may get your wish of being in a hovel defending some countries people who have caused there own problems and dont give 2 shits about you, but then i guess your opinion might change when it might actualy be you in the fring line , like so many of the other arm chair warriors , i joined to protect my queen and country , my country not the world , that is the oath i swore , it certainly was not to go and intefere in countries that are of no interest to britain "

My family has a deep history of our menfolk serving our country, my own father was mortally wounded overseas in 1972 passing away several months after.

My brother never let that put him off, he served his country for many years, nor did his two sons, nor my late sisters son. all three of whom are currently serving in the Royal Marines and Rifles.

They signed up for WHATEVER was thrown at them, not just to sit at home defending our shores.

You can't pick and choose which conflicts you take part in, a fact I am 100% sure you knew when you signed up.

I was too young to gauge the depths of my fathers feelings about serving in the armed forces, but I do know that my Three nephews joined up and continue to serve in full knowledge of the dangers that may face them and do so with pride.

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"

I was too young to gauge the depths of my fathers feelings about serving in the armed forces, but I do know that my Three nephews joined up and continue to serve in full knowledge of the dangers that may face them and do so with pride."

my family too....both my grandfathers were in ww11 and my great grandfathers were in ww1. my dad served in Aden...

my grandad and my dad cannot fathom why we are in

my dad couldn't understand why he was in aden back then either

my grandad saw that he was defending the threat against britain when he was at war.

i have cousins in the navy as is my childrens father...they don't approve either

this guy is also currently serving and i beleive entitled to his opinion.

you cant tell him to get on it with it and stop moaning just because of your family history.

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

I read a story once from one of the few surviving men of ww1.

he said "do you think we wanted to be there? did we hell. we did it because we had to"

those men were no more and no less heroes than our guys today.

we will not know all the heroes or hear all the stories until many years after these conflicts are over

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By *oDownEasyMan
over a year ago

Ayrshire

Im OK with taking action but since when did the UN forces consist of just us,the Americans, and (good god can they actually fight lol) the French?

There are plenty of countries in the UN a lot closer than us!And *they* arent fighting in Afghanistan(well, not very much!)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

jane i understand what your saying , i am a original royal green jacket therefore i am rifles, 1 rifles are out here now as part of 3 cdo bde , i have pride in my battalion and my mates , i ask my men to do things i have no right to ask them to do , but they do it , and i love them for it and would do anything for them , but do we want to be out here do we hell , ask your nephews , we just want to do our tour and come home safe , we dont care less about afghanistan and i hope i never se the place ever again , that is my arguement , why am i here , you explain to me

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"on the back of news that the french have open fired on Libya are you pro or against us going in?"
half the country be outrage

bliar tried 2 help free iraq

look what happen to him

it should be un get involved 1st

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"no if you sign up for the army you expect to defend your country not go sticking our noses into every despots businees all over the world , if you feel so strongly about human rights , get yourself down to the recruiting office, join up and who knows next year you may get your wish of being in a hovel defending some countries people who have caused there own problems and dont give 2 shits about you, but then i guess your opinion might change when it might actualy be you in the fring line , like so many of the other arm chair warriors , i joined to protect my queen and country , my country not the world , that is the oath i swore , it certainly was not to go and intefere in countries that are of no interest to britain

My family has a deep history of our menfolk serving our country, my own father was mortally wounded overseas in 1972 passing away several months after.

My brother never let that put him off, he served his country for many years, nor did his two sons, nor my late sisters son. all three of whom are currently serving in the Royal Marines and Rifles.

They signed up for WHATEVER was thrown at them, not just to sit at home defending our shores.

You can't pick and choose which conflicts you take part in, a fact I am 100% sure you knew when you signed up.

I was too young to gauge the depths of my fathers feelings about serving in the armed forces, but I do know that my Three nephews joined up and continue to serve in full knowledge of the dangers that may face them and do so with pride."

we too have a long forces history in our family too many coflicts to start listing tbf

we also have a son that starts his phase 1 in june and yes it will be done with pride and i am the proudest mum in the whole world (in my opinion)

yet i am certain there will be times when he questions why he is being sent to clean up some other idiots mess as so many off our family have before him

its easy for the leaders of these countries to send in their forces when they go home to the safety of their own homes and the comfort of their families each and every night i say let them serve for a few years before they get to make choices like that i think some very different choices would be made if they did

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By *thwalescplCouple
over a year ago

brecon

An apt quote for all you "armchair warriors" out there who yap about what the army should, or should not do.

"Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because, deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on ...that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand at post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."

Not exactly pertinent to the situation in Libya I'll grant you, but I posted it as a reminder that, sometimes, people (in this case the Govt) have to "stand on the wall", while the electarate get to sleep easy, whilst (in a democracy) being free to condemn actions taken to help ease the suffering of others, who currently are fighting to have the same rights.

I've served, and lost friends, freedom is a right, not a priviledge, and these people need help to attain that.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"jane i understand what your saying , i am a original royal green jacket therefore i am rifles, 1 rifles are out here now as part of 3 cdo bde , i have pride in my battalion and my mates , i ask my men to do things i have no right to ask them to do , but they do it , and i love them for it and would do anything for them , but do we want to be out here do we hell , ask your nephews , we just want to do our tour and come home safe , we dont care less about afghanistan and i hope i never se the place ever again , that is my arguement , why am i here , you explain to me "

i know some green jacket lads and my dad was a D&D for 22years :D

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"An apt quote for all you "armchair warriors" out there who yap about what the army should, or should not do.

"Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because, deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on ...that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand at post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."

Not exactly pertinent to the situation in Libya I'll grant you, but I posted it as a reminder that, sometimes, people (in this case the Govt) have to "stand on the wall", while the electarate get to sleep easy, whilst (in a democracy) being free to condemn actions taken to help ease the suffering of others, who currently are fighting to have the same rights.

I've served, and lost friends, freedom is a right, not a priviledge, and these people need help to attain that.

"

well said that man

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By *untimes11Man
over a year ago

cardiff

Even the Yanks were reluctant to intervene in this one which is suprising given that they're the first to interfere when it comes to an oil rich nation. I think we're all getting a bit sick of war, i'd prefer it if we brough all our troops back home and sorted our own problems out first. Wars cost billions and we cant even balance our own countries defeciet at the moment.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

some one has to do it just wish the yanks was not behind us ....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It's a UN backed action, to enforce a No-Fly zone and we're a permanent member of the UN Security Council so we need to act up to that part we appointed ourselves after WW2.

Gadaffi is off his rocker and all the French have done so far is flown around and opened fire on a military target.

Keeping a lunatic from wiping out anyone with a different opinion from his own is one good reason to be there, but to protect hundreds of millions of pounds worth UK investment in Libyan oil for the upstream businesses and employees directly involved, as well as preserve our own fuel prices for the UK population in general as an indirect reason constitutes good reason #2.

Using our fast jet fleet oversees in theatre is good for the Royal Air Force too, who have been battered under the recent defence review and the general public sold the story that the RAF don't need any jets in this post Cold War era.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

it is that

(un nations are in charge of assault)

he wont last for long in power he will be over run

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"

Using our fast jet fleet oversees in theatre is good for the Royal Air Force too, who have been battered under the recent defence review and the general public sold the story that the RAF don't need any jets in this post Cold War era."

we got any ships left to take them out there?

where's the ark royal when you nedd it..

...oh, i know....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"

Using our fast jet fleet oversees in theatre is good for the Royal Air Force too, who have been battered under the recent defence review and the general public sold the story that the RAF don't need any jets in this post Cold War era.

we got any ships left to take them out there?

where's the ark royal when you nedd it..

...oh, i know...."

in dock some were being decommission order the so called uk government

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By *plpxp2Couple
over a year ago

Middlesbrough


"

we got any ships left to take them out there?

where's the ark royal when you nedd it..

...oh, i know...."

110 cruise missiles @ $600,000 U.S.D each fired tonight, could have bought an aircraft carrier

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By *untimes11Man
over a year ago

cardiff


"Keeping a lunatic from wiping out anyone with a different opinion from his own is one good reason to be there, but to protect hundreds of millions of pounds worth UK investment in Libyan oil for the upstream businesses and employees directly involved, as well as preserve our own fuel prices for the UK population in general as an indirect reason constitutes good reason #2."

I understand the financial imlications of oil etc, and i'd always support the troops on the ground regardless of the conflict. They get paid a pittance for putting their lives on the line and doing a very difficult job. I'ts just that nations seem very quick to intervene when oil get's thrown into the mix but are happy not to intervene when it isn't. All the while, America hasn't even tapped into most of their own oil reserves because they're making a fortune from every barrel of oil that's traded in dollars.

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By *untimes11Man
over a year ago

cardiff

[Removed by poster at 19/03/11 20:55:16]

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"

Using our fast jet fleet oversees in theatre is good for the Royal Air Force too, who have been battered under the recent defence review and the general public sold the story that the RAF don't need any jets in this post Cold War era.

we got any ships left to take them out there?

where's the ark royal when you nedd it..

...oh, i know....in dock some were being decommission order the so called uk government "

totally, and stripped bare so the decision cannot be reversed

shame

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"

Using our fast jet fleet oversees in theatre is good for the Royal Air Force too, who have been battered under the recent defence review and the general public sold the story that the RAF don't need any jets in this post Cold War era.

we got any ships left to take them out there?

where's the ark royal when you nedd it..

...oh, i know....in dock some were being decommission order the so called uk government

totally, and stripped bare so the decision cannot be reversed

shame"

just have an air force

going of topic i no

what happen if we get an attack from out there you

how we going to defend our self

with nothing in the air to support the ground troops (just as thought)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If UK territory was attacked you mean? We'd never send our full air defence strength oversees at once, and always maintain defence aircraft on readiness for a scramble from stations such as Leuchars and Conningsby.

I don't know any specifics but I'd be very surprised if we'd sent more than a handful of Typhoons and Tornados to Libya.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"a definite no from me sick and tired of fighting othe rcountries wars, have spent the last 20 yrs being sent to shit holes that had nothing to do with england , and yes i am english not british, i joined the army to protect my country , not be the international police force of 3rd world shitholes , and where do i find myself right now , in a 3rd world shithole called afghanistan for the 3rd time , god i can not wait to be a civvy "

good luck

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

And I thought that the UK was almost bankrupt.

It's funny how we haven't got any money to keep the old folks' homes open, to build new schools and hospitals, our roads look like a war zone because we can't afford to fix the potholes neither can we afford the salt to melt the ice in the winter, but when it comes to interfering in another country's business money is no object and we seem to be able to find billions ....

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By *athnBobCouple
over a year ago

sandwell

Western governments never seem to learn.

Air power never wins a war. It just degrades the opponents ability to fight a war.

What wins wars is boots on the ground.

To finish this war we will have to send ground troops just as we did in Kosavo. We are still occupying Kosavo 20 years later. The only "plus point" is that Libya falls in the french sphere of influence so they will be providing the majority of the ground troops when they do go in (which probably wont be until we have withdrawn the majority of our troops from Afghanistan which in turn will probably be speeded up somewhat now)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

[Removed by poster at 20/03/11 09:55:27]

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It's really very simple. Lots of British institutions (i.e. British PLCs) are heavily invested in Libya, and if we don't do anything we'll lose all that investment and it sounds as though the Chinese were positioning themselves to cash in on our investment and reap the benefits.

The shareholders of these companies aren't just the stereotypical fatcat with a Ferrari the average Joe likes to imagine, but usually British banks and pension funds. Do you pay into a pension fund? Chances are that the money is invested someone who has an interest in Libya.

We're protecting British financial interests (and that means those of the general public, whether they're intelligent enough to realise it affects them or not), and that's why we've been forced to find the cash to fund this operation. Like Iraq, post-Gadaffi Libya will probably be invited to compensate us with better deals - such as tax relief for the investing companies and/or some oil revenue for our efforts.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I've never quite seen the point of having an Army, Navy and Air force that are untried and untested in a live combat situation.

Should we spend billions and billions on an Armed Force that never go anywhere or do anything?

I think I'd be more outraged at that than the cost of sending our troops overseas to assist others in attaining the very freedom we take for granted.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I've never quite seen the point of having an Army, Navy and Air force that are untried and untested in a live combat situation.

Should we spend billions and billions on an Armed Force that never go anywhere or do anything?

I think I'd be more outraged at that than the cost of sending our troops overseas to assist others in attaining the very freedom we take for granted."

what armed forces there being scrape the fighters squadron, that has been sent from uk mainland are on there last mission.

we had once 1 of the best arm forces in 40s now its down to 30%

how are we suppose 2 defend in attack from other sources not necessary human

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I've never quite seen the point of having an Army, Navy and Air force that are untried and untested in a live combat situation.

Should we spend billions and billions on an Armed Force that never go anywhere or do anything?

I think I'd be more outraged at that than the cost of sending our troops overseas to assist others in attaining the very freedom we take for granted.what armed forces there being scrape the fighters squadron, that has been sent from uk mainland are on there last mission.

we had once 1 of the best arm forces in 40s now its down to 30%

how are we suppose 2 defend in attack from other sources not necessary human

"

huh?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I've never quite seen the point of having an Army, Navy and Air force that are untried and untested in a live combat situation.

Should we spend billions and billions on an Armed Force that never go anywhere or do anything?

I think I'd be more outraged at that than the cost of sending our troops overseas to assist others in attaining the very freedom we take for granted."

This was George Osborne's take on things on Andrew Marr earlier. In essence he said we should think of this a wee excercise for our Armed Forces.

Where does he think we been for the last few years? What does he think we've been up to in Iraq and Afghanistan?

You could almost see Osborne's semi tucked away in his breeks.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I've never quite seen the point of having an Army, Navy and Air force that are untried and untested in a live combat situation.

Should we spend billions and billions on an Armed Force that never go anywhere or do anything?

I think I'd be more outraged at that than the cost of sending our troops overseas to assist others in attaining the very freedom we take for granted.

This was George Osborne's take on things on Andrew Marr earlier. In essence he said we should think of this a wee excercise for our Armed Forces.

Where does he think we been for the last few years? What does he think we've been up to in Iraq and Afghanistan?

You could almost see Osborne's semi tucked away in his breeks."

What about troops that have enlisted long after the Iraq war, or those who have enlisted since we went into Afghanistan? An army is continually evolving with new troops that most assuredly need 'blooding'. It is a much better tactic to employ troops in Afghanistan that have served there already and know the lay of the land.

The Libya situation is going to be very different from Iraq or Afghanistan with the aim being purely to assist the rebel forces to retain control once we've helped them wrestle it from Gadaffi's murderous hands.

Posters above have mentioned that we're going in to keep lucrative oil deals etc but Gadaffi has already threatened to award those deals to China and India if foreign workers refuse to return to work in Libya, so those deals are tentative at best.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"

What about troops that have enlisted long after the Iraq war, or those who have enlisted since we went into Afghanistan? An army is continually evolving with new troops that most assuredly need 'blooding'. It is a much better tactic to employ troops in Afghanistan that have served there already and know the lay of the land. "

So the guys and girls who've done the heavy lifting keep getting the hard work 'cos they know the country?


" The Libya situation is going to be very different from Iraq or Afghanistan with the aim being purely to assist the rebel forces to retain control once we've helped them wrestle it from Gadaffi's murderous hands.

............... "

If Gadaffi has any sense he'll move the threat to Benghazi back 50 or 100 km and just sit there.

He'll have met the UN requirement for there to be no ongoing threat to civillians but, because we can't trust him, we'll have to maintain a no fly zone for ...... how many years?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"

What about troops that have enlisted long after the Iraq war, or those who have enlisted since we went into Afghanistan? An army is continually evolving with new troops that most assuredly need 'blooding'. It is a much better tactic to employ troops in Afghanistan that have served there already and know the lay of the land.

So the guys and girls who've done the heavy lifting keep getting the hard work 'cos they know the country?

"

I'd say a mix of experienced troops and new recruits would be the preferred modus operandi.


"

The Libya situation is going to be very different from Iraq or Afghanistan with the aim being purely to assist the rebel forces to retain control once we've helped them wrestle it from Gadaffi's murderous hands.

...............

If Gadaffi has any sense he'll move the threat to Benghazi back 50 or 100 km and just sit there.

He'll have met the UN requirement for there to be no ongoing threat to civillians but, because we can't trust him, we'll have to maintain a no fly zone for ...... how many years?"

Until he dies, or steps down due to ill health (ie, one of his cronies poisoning his food). He's quite an old man now, he can't last much longer. Hopefully.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

But he has a son (or sons, I'm not sure) who will gladly step into his shoes

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"But he has a son (or sons, I'm not sure) who will gladly step into his shoes"

I can't see the West, or the people of Libya, permitting Gadaffi to be replaced by more of the same ilk. Once Gadaffi goes so will all his family/henchmen.

If anyone is still in any doubt about why we're there, I'd urge you to remember the A74 near Lockerbie and who ordered it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"But he has a son (or sons, I'm not sure) who will gladly step into his shoes

I can't see the West, or the people of Libya, permitting Gadaffi to be replaced by more of the same ilk. Once Gadaffi goes so will all his family/henchmen.

If anyone is still in any doubt about why we're there, I'd urge you to remember the A74 near Lockerbie and who ordered it."

they've got a box at Old Trafford

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

anyone seen team america.

they go in fix the problem but always leave devistation in thier wake.

a funny film but very close to reality here, as we proved with sadam you cant cut the head of and expect something to live, look in history for a revolution to work it has to be fought from within.

the problem as always is we want what the country has to offer.

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place

I tell you what i am getting really pissed off woith the Arab league ,one minute they want a no fly zone ,with protected areas for the civillians then the french blow up a few tanks heading for Bengazzi and they throw a wobler,saying no that s not what we ment.

How the fuck are supposed to achieve it without our guys getting blown out the fucking sky..

they need to make there fucking mind up one way or the other and while it was them who made the request .lets send em the bill .!!!

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Hague said this morning that Arab nations are indeed contributing much of the money for the campaign....

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"

If Gadaffi has any sense he'll move the threat to Benghazi back 50 or 100 km and just sit there.

He'll have met the UN requirement for there to be no ongoing threat to civillians but, because we can't trust him, we'll have to maintain a no fly zone for ...... how many years?"

well that was what was in the resolution... he could have done it... but he tried to test it.. and now he knows what the consequence is....

bomb the radar installations... bomb the miltary bases and the runways, maintain a sea embargo, which is what they have done... then they can maintain the no-fly zone with no threat...

funny enough... if the damage is as bad as the libyans say it is, why are they not taking western journalists seeing the sites to back up the claims?

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By *obletonMan
over a year ago

A Home Among The Woodland Creatures


"

how far do we take it?"

The cycnic in me suspects we'll take it all the way to installing our own puppet government complete with imasculated constitution so that we can make sure that the country is just democratic enough to keep the masses happy but not democratic enough to ever threaten their status as a compliant client state which supplies us with cheap oil.

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"I tell you what i am getting really pissed off woith the Arab league ,one minute they want a no fly zone ,with protected areas for the civillians then the french blow up a few tanks heading for Bengazzi and they throw a wobler,saying no that s not what we ment.

How the fuck are supposed to achieve it without our guys getting blown out the fucking sky..

they need to make there fucking mind up one way or the other and while it was them who made the request .lets send em the bill .!!!"

this is the thing.... they are speaking out of both sides of there mouths!

they were the one who pushed for the resoulution.... they were actually at the huge meeting in france yesterday! so you can't tell me they didn't know this was coming!....

I think it is the libyan tv claims that have jolted them a bit... but they are a one way propoganda machine...

if the arab league cave in on this one... al jazeera and al arabiya will have a field day, like it or not they both have a lot of stroke in forming arab opinion

remember gadaffi hates al jazeera because they have debunked a lot of what is said..... tunisia tried jamming al jazeera signal during their uprising... egypt tried jamming the al jazeera signal during their uprising...

libya are trying to do the same......

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place


"I tell you what i am getting really pissed off woith the Arab league ,one minute they want a no fly zone ,with protected areas for the civillians then the french blow up a few tanks heading for Bengazzi and they throw a wobler,saying no that s not what we ment.

How the fuck are supposed to achieve it without our guys getting blown out the fucking sky..

they need to make there fucking mind up one way or the other and while it was them who made the request .lets send em the bill .!!!

this is the thing.... they are speaking out of both sides of there mouths!

they were the one who pushed for the resoulution.... they were actually at the huge meeting in france yesterday! so you can't tell me they didn't know this was coming!....

I think it is the libyan tv claims that have jolted them a bit... but they are a one way propoganda machine...

if the arab league cave in on this one... al jazeera and al arabiya will have a field day, like it or not they both have a lot of stroke in forming arab opinion

remember gadaffi hates al jazeera because they have debunked a lot of what is said..... tunisia tried jamming al jazeera signal during their uprising... egypt tried jamming the al jazeera signal during their uprising...

libya are trying to do the same......"

well tbh i am sick of dancing to tha arab tune the sooner they get a grip and we get a grip and find a credible alternate to oil the better,all these guys and women putting themselves at risk as they requested it and now .,...backtrack...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

our places in the world people dieing and we dont always go and help ... is this about oil really ..... if no oil would thay be going ?

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Probably not....but be grateful they are securing oil supplies, we would be in shit without it

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By *uckoldandWifeCouple
over a year ago

Manchester


"Even the Yanks were reluctant to intervene in this one which is suprising given that they're the first to interfere when it comes to an oil rich nation. I think we're all getting a bit sick of war, i'd prefer it if we brough all our troops back home and sorted our own problems out first. Wars cost billions and we cant even balance our own countries defeciet at the moment."

Wars do cost billions and not a fan of them at all, but those billions are spent making guns, ships, planes, bombs etc and the minute you mention defence cuts you mention job losses and everyone panics. So while we don't like war it seems like an essential for our economy. All that money that looks like it's being spent abroad fighting battles that don't seem like our own are actually keeping hundreds of thousands of Brits in work and supporting the UKs economy. Crazy isn't it. Same people who complain about petrol prices also complain about governments who invade other countries to get more of the stuff to try and keep prices down. Ironic really. It's a fucked up world.

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"

well tbh i am sick of dancing to tha arab tune the sooner they get a grip and we get a grip and find a credible alternate to oil the better,all these guys and women putting themselves at risk as they requested it and now .,...backtrack..."

I think if the collation is smart... they will get the planes from the arab countries to do the partolling thru the daytime.... and at night the western countries do whatever bombing of millitary targets they need to do to maintain the no fly zone....

that way the west can claim they are doing it to protect their counterparts... and the arabs can say they are upholding the peace...

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place


"

well tbh i am sick of dancing to tha arab tune the sooner they get a grip and we get a grip and find a credible alternate to oil the better,all these guys and women putting themselves at risk as they requested it and now .,...backtrack...

I think if the collation is smart... they will get the planes from the arab countries to do the partolling thru the daytime.... and at night the western countries do whatever bombing of millitary targets they need to do to maintain the no fly zone....

that way the west can claim they are doing it to protect their counterparts... and the arabs can say they are upholding the peace..."

yeah well they call and its like hello yeah ok ...dont get me wrong i think we should protect libyans from the mad dog.

But it just pisses me off as you say the speak with two messages ,becides fuck em now the will of the UN is motion,so lets not pull the punches

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"a definite no from me sick and tired of fighting othe rcountries wars, have spent the last 20 yrs being sent to shit holes that had nothing to do with england , and yes i am english not british, i joined the army to protect my country , not be the international police force of 3rd world shitholes , and where do i find myself right now , in a 3rd world shithole called afghanistan for the 3rd time , god i can not wait to be a civvy "

Post of the day!

When oh when will we stop the interfering in other people's business? We just create yet another mob of people who hate us.

Haven't we spent the last few years cosying up to the Gaddafi regime and in the process setting free the Lockerbie bomber? And now we are involved again.

Cameron is brilliant. We can't afford a pot to pee in (eg the universities getting £1bn less) but there is always money in the pot to fight another war. It is completely wrong.

It's about time we remembered our place in the world. And it isn't as the world's policeman.

Do the right thing by our brave lads and lasses and bring them home. Enough is enough.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"on the back of news that the french have open fired on Libya are you pro or against us going in?

Doesn't to seem to matter now. Welcome to the world's worst wake, where we celebrate the fact that we sat on our hands for weeks while people fought and died by sending in a few planes in the hope no-one gets killed and Cameron doesn't get embarassed.

...and not just in that country. The fight for democracy is spreading throughout the middle east like wildfire

how far do we take it?"

we, we are not revolting.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"our places in the world people dieing and we dont always go and help ... is this about oil really ..... if no oil would thay be going ?"

hit the nail on the head Jo, no they would not be interested. There are so many examples of this.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"If in some smothering dreams you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in,

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,

His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,

The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori."

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


""If in some smothering dreams you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in,

And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,

His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood

Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,

Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud

Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest

To children ardent for some desperate glory,

The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori."

"

From a man who wrote almost no poetry of importance until he experienced at first hand the horrors of WWI - and perversely was shot and killed a week before the end of it. His parents received news of his death as the Armistace bells were ringing out in his home town of Oswestry, Shropshire.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it "

When you have no fuel for your car, and no heating for your house and the wheels of industry stop turning because nothing is powering the manufacturing conveyor belts - I suspect you may rethink that argument.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it

When you have no fuel for your car, and no heating for your house and the wheels of industry stop turning because nothing is powering the manufacturing conveyor belts - I suspect you may rethink that argument."

sod the moral arguments, it's only money these days eh?

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay


"i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it "

I do have to wonder sometimes if people actually realise just how important oil is in our daily lives?

Much of Japan has ground to a halt this last week when there was no fuel available.....no food in the shops, no-one getting to work.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it

When you have no fuel for your car, and no heating for your house and the wheels of industry stop turning because nothing is powering the manufacturing conveyor belts - I suspect you may rethink that argument.

sod the moral arguments, it's only money these days eh?"

It's something much more basic than that - it's life. We have built our entire societies around fossil fuels and when one madman controls a huge amount of it we are forced to take action to preserve our way of life. While Gadaffi was behaving himself, relatively speaking, we were prepared to let him run his country, but when his people have clearly stated they no longer want him, and he refuses to leave sparking civil war, well, that threatens oil supplies to the rest of the world and we have to step in.

Sure, we could get oil from other oil rich nations but the overiding factor is that world oil prices have rocketed on the back of Middle East uprisings and that doesn't make for very stable economies, especially given that we are on the recovery side of a major recession.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

As long as we are alright eh? They have been suffering for years and years and years. Had a Lybian lodger in the 1970's and it was just as bad then.

As long as we are alright we are not bothered and that's the bottom line, so why try to make a heroic act of it. Be honest and say it's about the oil.

(I do acknowledge that you have)

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place


"a definite no from me sick and tired of fighting othe rcountries wars, have spent the last 20 yrs being sent to shit holes that had nothing to do with england , and yes i am english not british, i joined the army to protect my country , not be the international police force of 3rd world shitholes , and where do i find myself right now , in a 3rd world shithole called afghanistan for the 3rd time , god i can not wait to be a civvy "

I can feel for you there, if you no longer want to be in and you've done your bit you deserve to hit the street ,unfortunately the govt think you are protecting us being in those shitholes,like they did in the 40s ,50s ,60s etc or for example when they ordered the army of the day to set up concentration camps starving 20,000 Africaan kids during the boar war...

If you take the shilling , you have to do it ..however i will say this, if your going to be ordered to do the dirty work in dirty wars ,we got to make sure your tooled up for the job with the best gear there is,enlarge the forces so the frontline gets proper rotation and destress time, no matter what govts in power,stop pissing the armed forces around and take the bill for em on the chin

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By *adja_lazloCouple
over a year ago

Solihull

seems to me that the Governmenta are backing an civil uprising, the USA and most of the western world have been after Gadaffi for years

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it

When you have no fuel for your car, and no heating for your house and the wheels of industry stop turning because nothing is powering the manufacturing conveyor belts - I suspect you may rethink that argument.

sod the moral arguments, it's only money these days eh?

It's something much more basic than that - it's life. We have built our entire societies around fossil fuels and when one madman controls a huge amount of it we are forced to take action to preserve our way of life. While Gadaffi was behaving himself, relatively speaking, we were prepared to let him run his country, but when his people have clearly stated they no longer want him, and he refuses to leave sparking civil war, well, that threatens oil supplies to the rest of the world and we have to step in.

Sure, we could get oil from other oil rich nations but the overiding factor is that world oil prices have rocketed on the back of Middle East uprisings and that doesn't make for very stable economies, especially given that we are on the recovery side of a major recession."

Jeez!!... Expressing views like that goes some way to understanding why the Muslim disspossed are so easily radicalised..." we were prepared to let him run his country"..indeed! Your manna from heaven to the dissedent groups who preach sedition to the Arabian and Persian populaces who have long memories of exploitation,land and wealth grab and puppet governments !!

You purport to a moral arguement of giving the rebels freedom and democracy ...nothing could be further from the truth it appears..

And who are these rebels self determined gung ho warrior ?

Arabs or Berbers !!...

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"Hague said this morning that Arab nations are indeed contributing much of the money for the campaign...."

not how sure that offer will last as they are calling an emergency meeting...the concern being that the deaths of libyan civilians was not part of what they signed up for....quatar is now the only middle eastern country that says that they will continue to support the air strikes by the french

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'm not sure if I'm failing to get the point across or whether it's just too difficult a concept.

WE HAVE ALREADY INVESTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS in Libya. For the British stakeholders to get their payback, we need to protect our investment.

This isn't some cynical case of "way hey lads here's some oil we can get our mits on". This is a case of "we've spent a bloody fortune drilling holes in the ground and building the infrastructure to produce oil there, and now we're at a serious risk of losing all that before the investment has paid for itself".

It's all above board and of huge importance to anyone who uses British banks, British insurance companies or, as I said earlier, has a British pension fund.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Jeez!!... Expressing views like that goes some way to understanding why the Muslim disspossed are so easily radicalised..." we were prepared to let him run his country"..indeed! Your manna from heaven to the dissedent groups who preach sedition to the Arabian and Persian populaces who have long memories of exploitation,land and wealth grab and puppet governments !!

You purport to a moral arguement of giving the rebels freedom and democracy ...nothing could be further from the truth it appears..

And who are these rebels self determined gung ho warrior ?

Arabs or Berbers !!... "

There has always been a muslim section that believe the west to be 'crusaders'. They don't need radicalisation from outside when so much of it goes on from within their own society from a very young age.

It is a fact that oil is a very huge part of our society and our dependance on it's continued supply is inextricably linked to whoever is in control of it locally where it is brought out of the ground.

We in the West need someone we can do business with, and if that person or government then turns around and decides we are not to be dealt with then we must find another to replace him/it.

There are no guarantees that any new Libyan govt would be more pro-West than another other but given the limited options available we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

The bottom line is: We need the oil Libya produces. Our society falls assunder without it as we simply don't produce enough ourselves to do without it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I'm not sure if I'm failing to get the point across or whether it's just too difficult a concept.

WE HAVE ALREADY INVESTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS in Libya. For the British stakeholders to get their payback, we need to protect our investment.

This isn't some cynical case of "way hey lads here's some oil we can get our mits on". This is a case of "we've spent a bloody fortune drilling holes in the ground and building the infrastructure to produce oil there, and now we're at a serious risk of losing all that before the investment has paid for itself".

It's all above board and of huge importance to anyone who uses British banks, British insurance companies or, as I said earlier, has a British pension fund."

Well I really have misunderstood as I didn't realise our troops were there to serve the bankd, British insurance or British Pension funds. We live and learn.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I'm not sure if I'm failing to get the point across or whether it's just too difficult a concept.

WE HAVE ALREADY INVESTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS in Libya. For the British stakeholders to get their payback, we need to protect our investment.

This isn't some cynical case of "way hey lads here's some oil we can get our mits on". This is a case of "we've spent a bloody fortune drilling holes in the ground and building the infrastructure to produce oil there, and now we're at a serious risk of losing all that before the investment has paid for itself".

It's all above board and of huge importance to anyone who uses British banks, British insurance companies or, as I said earlier, has a British pension fund."

The moral of yer post serves only to point out that any companies involved ..need to address their political risk management, and review any service they are getting from providers...this tribal fuck fest has been brewing for years!!..greater concerns than parochorial self interest are on the table ....wider geo political concerns and consequences...

And yes some us us are able to understand a fairly simplistic arguement of hundreds of millions of pounds investment being the motivation of what ?

Invasion!! ....tell me how this current action protects the investment , you so dearly cherish as a credible arguement for again what!!! ...I`m curious as to the timeline of anticipated and projected events that conspire to protect your investment !!..

Hundreds of pounds (I won`t use capitals as emphasis)which in terms of national finance are frankly laughable ammounts anyway..

Considering Russia stands to lose £4 billion in arms sales and yet hasn`t got involved ....why do you think that is ?..

Further ponderings ..how long before the tribes sort out their differences ....given theres a strong chance that Bengazi will declare itself a seperate republic..who will be in control of the oilfields ....

Will the Libyan National Oil Company..which is state owned ..still exist ...will any existing contracts be honoured?

Or are you advocating we provoke a Middle East war ...something Obama appears cognisant of!!..and invade and run the country albeit with a puppet government !!

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place


"I'm not sure if I'm failing to get the point across or whether it's just too difficult a concept.

WE HAVE ALREADY INVESTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS in Libya. For the British stakeholders to get their payback, we need to protect our investment.

This isn't some cynical case of "way hey lads here's some oil we can get our mits on". This is a case of "we've spent a bloody fortune drilling holes in the ground and building the infrastructure to produce oil there, and now we're at a serious risk of losing all that before the investment has paid for itself".

It's all above board and of huge importance to anyone who uses British banks, British insurance companies or, as I said earlier, has a British pension fund.

The moral of yer post serves only to point out that any companies involved ..need to address their political risk management, and review any service they are getting from providers...this tribal fuck fest has been brewing for years!!..greater concerns than parochorial self interest are on the table ....wider geo political concerns and consequences...

And yes some us us are able to understand a fairly simplistic arguement of hundreds of millions of pounds investment being the motivation of what ?

Invasion!! ....tell me how this current action protects the investment , you so dearly cherish as a credible arguement for again what!!! ...I`m curious as to the timeline of anticipated and projected events that conspire to protect your investment !!..

Hundreds of pounds (I won`t use capitals as emphasis)which in terms of national finance are frankly laughable ammounts anyway..

Considering Russia stands to lose £4 billion in arms sales and yet hasn`t got involved ....why do you think that is ?..

Further ponderings ..how long before the tribes sort out their differences ....given theres a strong chance that Bengazi will declare itself a seperate republic..who will be in control of the oilfields ....

Will the Libyan National Oil Company..which is state owned ..still exist ...will any existing contracts be honoured?

Or are you advocating we provoke a Middle East war ...something Obama appears cognisant of!!..and invade and run the country albeit with a puppet government !!"

i toally agree with you,at $600,000 each we lit £70 million quids worth of tomahawks on the first night ,a couple of hundred mill in the multi trillion dollar economies involved is neither here or there..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Jeez!!... Expressing views like that goes some way to understanding why the Muslim disspossed are so easily radicalised..." we were prepared to let him run his country"..indeed! Your manna from heaven to the dissedent groups who preach sedition to the Arabian and Persian populaces who have long memories of exploitation,land and wealth grab and puppet governments !!

You purport to a moral arguement of giving the rebels freedom and democracy ...nothing could be further from the truth it appears..

And who are these rebels self determined gung ho warrior ?

Arabs or Berbers !!...

There has always been a muslim section that believe the west to be 'crusaders'. They don't need radicalisation from outside when so much of it goes on from within their own society from a very young age.

It is a fact that oil is a very huge part of our society and our dependance on it's continued supply is inextricably linked to whoever is in control of it locally where it is brought out of the ground.

We in the West need someone we can do business with, and if that person or government then turns around and decides we are not to be dealt with then we must find another to replace him/it.

There are no guarantees that any new Libyan govt would be more pro-West than another other but given the limited options available we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

The bottom line is: We need the oil Libya produces. Our society falls assunder without it as we simply don't produce enough ourselves to do without it."

Frankly Wishy its nonsense to suggest that we need Libyas oil ...any research will highlight that fact..although Libya is Africas major oil supplier it still only accounts for 4% of worldwide oil reserves ...small fry indeed!! ....the jitters in the market aren`t the loss in oil supply ....Saudi is covering the shortfall with little trouble..the jitters are the unrest in major oil producing countries and tensions between Israel, Iran , Saudi and America..

The reason Libyan oil is so popular is because its high profit margins ....some oil can be sourced for as little as a few dollars ber barrel ...its sweet oil ...low in sulphur and needs little refining ..fantastic profits are the motivator amongst the keen competion of contractors ....and the main beneficiary of Libyan oil is Italy ...an old colonial power ...they`re a bit fucked ..but look elsewhere on the market ..

We don`t need the oil ....so it opens up a wider geo political motivation ...doesn`t it !!..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"I'm not sure if I'm failing to get the point across or whether it's just too difficult a concept.

WE HAVE ALREADY INVESTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS in Libya. For the British stakeholders to get their payback, we need to protect our investment.

This isn't some cynical case of "way hey lads here's some oil we can get our mits on". This is a case of "we've spent a bloody fortune drilling holes in the ground and building the infrastructure to produce oil there, and now we're at a serious risk of losing all that before the investment has paid for itself".

It's all above board and of huge importance to anyone who uses British banks, British insurance companies or, as I said earlier, has a British pension fund.

The moral of yer post serves only to point out that any companies involved ..need to address their political risk management, and review any service they are getting from providers...this tribal fuck fest has been brewing for years!!..greater concerns than parochorial self interest are on the table ....wider geo political concerns and consequences...

And yes some us us are able to understand a fairly simplistic arguement of hundreds of millions of pounds investment being the motivation of what ?

Invasion!! ....tell me how this current action protects the investment , you so dearly cherish as a credible arguement for again what!!! ...I`m curious as to the timeline of anticipated and projected events that conspire to protect your investment !!..

Hundreds of pounds (I won`t use capitals as emphasis)which in terms of national finance are frankly laughable ammounts anyway..

Considering Russia stands to lose £4 billion in arms sales and yet hasn`t got involved ....why do you think that is ?..

Further ponderings ..how long before the tribes sort out their differences ....given theres a strong chance that Bengazi will declare itself a seperate republic..who will be in control of the oilfields ....

Will the Libyan National Oil Company..which is state owned ..still exist ...will any existing contracts be honoured?

Or are you advocating we provoke a Middle East war ...something Obama appears cognisant of!!..and invade and run the country albeit with a puppet government !!

i toally agree with you,at $600,000 each we lit £70 million quids worth of tomahawks on the first night ,a couple of hundred mill in the multi trillion dollar economies involved is neither here or there.."

It an odd arguement to use for British involvement to me ..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it

When you have no fuel for your car, and no heating for your house and the wheels of industry stop turning because nothing is powering the manufacturing conveyor belts - I suspect you may rethink that argument.

sod the moral arguments, it's only money these days eh?

It's something much more basic than that - it's life. We have built our entire societies around fossil fuels and when one madman controls a huge amount of it we are forced to take action to preserve our way of life. While Gadaffi was behaving himself, relatively speaking, we were prepared to let him run his country, but when his people have clearly stated they no longer want him, and he refuses to leave sparking civil war, well, that threatens oil supplies to the rest of the world and we have to step in.

Sure, we could get oil from other oil rich nations but the overiding factor is that world oil prices have rocketed on the back of Middle East uprisings and that doesn't make for very stable economies, especially given that we are on the recovery side of a major recession.

Jeez!!... Expressing views like that goes some way to understanding why the Muslim disspossed are so easily radicalised..." we were prepared to let him run his country"..indeed! Your manna from heaven to the dissedent groups who preach sedition to the Arabian and Persian populaces who have long memories of exploitation,land and wealth grab and puppet governments !!

You purport to a moral arguement of giving the rebels freedom and democracy ...nothing could be further from the truth it appears..

And who are these rebels self determined gung ho warrior ?

Arabs or Berbers !!... "

or Amazhir or Tamahek what does anyone know about this ancient civilisation. Nowt mainly, they just happen to live there.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it

When you have no fuel for your car, and no heating for your house and the wheels of industry stop turning because nothing is powering the manufacturing conveyor belts - I suspect you may rethink that argument.

sod the moral arguments, it's only money these days eh?

It's something much more basic than that - it's life. We have built our entire societies around fossil fuels and when one madman controls a huge amount of it we are forced to take action to preserve our way of life. While Gadaffi was behaving himself, relatively speaking, we were prepared to let him run his country, but when his people have clearly stated they no longer want him, and he refuses to leave sparking civil war, well, that threatens oil supplies to the rest of the world and we have to step in.

Sure, we could get oil from other oil rich nations but the overiding factor is that world oil prices have rocketed on the back of Middle East uprisings and that doesn't make for very stable economies, especially given that we are on the recovery side of a major recession.

Jeez!!... Expressing views like that goes some way to understanding why the Muslim disspossed are so easily radicalised..." we were prepared to let him run his country"..indeed! Your manna from heaven to the dissedent groups who preach sedition to the Arabian and Persian populaces who have long memories of exploitation,land and wealth grab and puppet governments !!

You purport to a moral arguement of giving the rebels freedom and democracy ...nothing could be further from the truth it appears..

And who are these rebels self determined gung ho warrior ?

Arabs or Berbers !!...

or Amazhir or Tamahek what does anyone know about this ancient civilisation. Nowt mainly, they just happen to live there."

They`ve a rich history eh ...somewhat of topic mabye ...mabye its aposite ...

Cave paintings 14,000 years old ...the various wars, occupations and Empires.... a fascinating history ...

Esp indepence from Italy and finally Britain in the last century

Its an extremely complex society fer sure...like all of the Middle East and old style Persia..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it

When you have no fuel for your car, and no heating for your house and the wheels of industry stop turning because nothing is powering the manufacturing conveyor belts - I suspect you may rethink that argument.

sod the moral arguments, it's only money these days eh?

It's something much more basic than that - it's life. We have built our entire societies around fossil fuels and when one madman controls a huge amount of it we are forced to take action to preserve our way of life. While Gadaffi was behaving himself, relatively speaking, we were prepared to let him run his country, but when his people have clearly stated they no longer want him, and he refuses to leave sparking civil war, well, that threatens oil supplies to the rest of the world and we have to step in.

Sure, we could get oil from other oil rich nations but the overiding factor is that world oil prices have rocketed on the back of Middle East uprisings and that doesn't make for very stable economies, especially given that we are on the recovery side of a major recession.

Jeez!!... Expressing views like that goes some way to understanding why the Muslim disspossed are so easily radicalised..." we were prepared to let him run his country"..indeed! Your manna from heaven to the dissedent groups who preach sedition to the Arabian and Persian populaces who have long memories of exploitation,land and wealth grab and puppet governments !!

You purport to a moral arguement of giving the rebels freedom and democracy ...nothing could be further from the truth it appears..

And who are these rebels self determined gung ho warrior ?

Arabs or Berbers !!...

or Amazhir or Tamahek what does anyone know about this ancient civilisation. Nowt mainly, they just happen to live there.

They`ve a rich history eh ...somewhat of topic mabye ...mabye its aposite ...

Cave paintings 14,000 years old ...the various wars, occupations and Empires.... a fascinating history ...

Esp indepence from Italy and finally Britain in the last century

Its an extremely complex society fer sure...like all of the Middle East and old style Persia.."

Not really off topic, we cannot just look at countries as political or economical. We should try see the people and the culture too.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Just got back. All honesty they're all idiots. i hear one more "they're human beings" and I'll scream. Not one Libyan wants us there. We're there to purely protect Britain's interests. They want to fight there own battles. Looked at the news here and it's just as bad as out there. Propoganda!

It's central Africa you want to be worried about. Ivory Coast next! Still, topped up the old sun tan.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"i think its because the main countries in the UN like US UK and france are to oil driven, every place we seem to fight is a major exporter of oil, and it doesnt seem right to risk lives for it

When you have no fuel for your car, and no heating for your house and the wheels of industry stop turning because nothing is powering the manufacturing conveyor belts - I suspect you may rethink that argument.

sod the moral arguments, it's only money these days eh?

It's something much more basic than that - it's life. We have built our entire societies around fossil fuels and when one madman controls a huge amount of it we are forced to take action to preserve our way of life. While Gadaffi was behaving himself, relatively speaking, we were prepared to let him run his country, but when his people have clearly stated they no longer want him, and he refuses to leave sparking civil war, well, that threatens oil supplies to the rest of the world and we have to step in.

Sure, we could get oil from other oil rich nations but the overiding factor is that world oil prices have rocketed on the back of Middle East uprisings and that doesn't make for very stable economies, especially given that we are on the recovery side of a major recession.

Jeez!!... Expressing views like that goes some way to understanding why the Muslim disspossed are so easily radicalised..." we were prepared to let him run his country"..indeed! Your manna from heaven to the dissedent groups who preach sedition to the Arabian and Persian populaces who have long memories of exploitation,land and wealth grab and puppet governments !!

You purport to a moral arguement of giving the rebels freedom and democracy ...nothing could be further from the truth it appears..

And who are these rebels self determined gung ho warrior ?

Arabs or Berbers !!...

or Amazhir or Tamahek what does anyone know about this ancient civilisation. Nowt mainly, they just happen to live there.

They`ve a rich history eh ...somewhat of topic mabye ...mabye its aposite ...

Cave paintings 14,000 years old ...the various wars, occupations and Empires.... a fascinating history ...

Esp indepence from Italy and finally Britain in the last century

Its an extremely complex society fer sure...like all of the Middle East and old style Persia..

Not really off topic, we cannot just look at countries as political or economical. We should try see the people and the culture too."

I was being slightly disengenious in all honesty ...

Disturbing to realise that Bush only came to know about Sunni`s and Shiite after the invasion of Iraq was launched ...unbelievable but true ...since the war was won the peace has been a complete illusion with horrendous sectarian violence..

America`s last troops are due to pull out at the end of this year...leaving behind a what !! A very weak nation ...a nation thats has little experience of government and a pathetically weak military ....just ripe fer Iran ....just perfect eh...Iraq floats on oil !! And the supposed democracy and freedoms of Iraqis are left where !!...

The above is realpolitick of course , but something thats best to be mindful of before getting involved in complex dynamics..

But I`m with yer ..in the view that the Libyan populace are human beings..not commodities or resigned to footnote on a profit and loss sheet...

A morality is desperately needed in worlds capatilist finances..the neo liberal rugged indivualists nearly wrecked the worlds economy by such short sighted views of people ....how people can be so blind to the cause of this countries predictament astounds me, and yet espouse the same game suggests a sublime irony ..

The world is awash with protectionism and nationalism...a fine recipe fer further grief..poverty and war .....greed destroys the system ..especially viewing humans and societies as erm ..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Bomb the buggers into the dark ages and take the Oil....its ours really any way...

Hooo haaaaa

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Bomb the buggers into the dark ages and take the Oil....its ours really any way...

Hooo haaaaa

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

i think we should keep out or this one.

the last thing the uk wants, is to be involved in the libya crises.

none o us want to see innocent people killed, by a dictator, who is a complete knob, and cannot be trusted or stopped by the un.

the uk cannot offord to be involved.

we moan about the cost of petrol,

just wait when we carnt get the oil from libya, gadaffi will turn the tap off.

let them sort there own problems out

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

[Removed by poster at 20/03/11 23:37:57]

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"

A morality is desperately needed in worlds capatilist finances..the neo liberal rugged indivualists nearly wrecked the worlds economy by such short sighted views of people ....how people can be so blind to the cause of this countries predictament astounds me, and yet espouse the same game suggests a sublime irony ..

The world is awash with protectionism and nationalism...a fine recipe fer further grief..poverty and war .....greed destroys the system ..especially viewing humans and societies as erm .."

yes

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"

i toally agree with you,at $600,000 each we lit £70 million quids worth of tomahawks on the first night ,a couple of hundred mill in the multi trillion dollar economies involved is neither here or there.."

It occurs to me that's not a kick in the pants off being the sum raised by Comic Relief on Friday night.

"... thur's mair nor a roch wind blawin

Thro the Great Glen o the world the day!!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

all i can say is where was the U.N when millions died in Rwanda ?

Ooops silly me.

I forgot, they dont have any oil.

I'll say no more apart from "life is precious but oil is bloody expensive"

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By *aucy3Couple
over a year ago

glasgow

china has an appalling human rights record,but we cant get far enough up their arses.they are a super power,have massive potential trading implications and a cheap manufacturing base,for multinational companies.we will be sending troops in there soon hmmmmm.

if there's an uprising,in an oil rich nation.

no matter their record on human rights.if the country is west friendly,it's terrorist rebels,at the root of the uprising.

if the country are west unfriendly,the rebels are freedom fighters.

the hypocrisy is sickening.

we are always looking after our own interests.thats ok,but we must stop pretending,it has anything to do with human rights,and morality.

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By *leasureDomeMan
over a year ago

all over the place


"china has an appalling human rights record,but we cant get far enough up their arses.they are a super power,have massive potential trading implications and a cheap manufacturing base,for multinational companies.we will be sending troops in there soon hmmmmm.

if there's an uprising,in an oil rich nation.

no matter their record on human rights.if the country is west friendly,it's terrorist rebels,at the root of the uprising.

if the country are west unfriendly,the rebels are freedom fighters.

the hypocrisy is sickening.

we are always looking after our own interests.thats ok,but we must stop pretending,it has anything to do with human rights,and morality.

"

Yeah and of course the old bastard in Zimbabwa and his "old Soldiers " have killed thousands and we have let him get away with it.

Bet the saudi royal family dont need fibre in there diet at the moment given the middle east insurrection.

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay


"all i can say is where was the U.N when millions died in Rwanda ?

Ooops silly me.

I forgot, they dont have any oil.

I'll say no more apart from "life is precious but oil is bloody expensive""

The UN placed a massive peacekeeping force into Rwanda.....

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Libya has low cost production oil fields, that is why BP and many other oil companies were so keen to sign contracts. As it is on the Med it also means relatively low cost transport for both infrastructure to the oil fields and oil export.

On the day of the first air strikes the Libyan Oil Minister appeared on TV to give BP and other oil companies Seven days to return their workers and technical experts to the country, otherwise they would invite China into the oil fields for sole export contracts.

Like it or not, this is the real world, the one that has a massive dependency on oil. We can bang our drum and shout and scream as much as we like, but without oil we are in shit street.

With 40 billion barrels of oil reserves Libya is a 'must have' for Western Powers.

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"all i can say is where was the U.N when millions died in Rwanda ?

Ooops silly me.

I forgot, they dont have any oil.

I'll say no more apart from "life is precious but oil is bloody expensive""

A) The UN did send peacekeepers in Rwanda... a bit late because in the UN's Own reports it said its reaction was a "failure" and Kofi Annan said "The international community failed Rwanda and that must leave us always with a sense of bitter regret."

B) Rwanda is the reason that the UN don't dither around so much anymore if genocide is being claimed......

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Countries that import Libyas oil

Italy 32%

Germany 14%

China 10%

France 10%

Spain 9%

US 5%

Other Europe 14%

Asia 4%

Brazil 2%

The US Energy Information Admin said in Feb that Saudi could relace all of Libya exports inside a month..Saudi historically does cover interuptions ...like the Iraq war..

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Oil prices have climbed by $2.26 a barrel this morning on the strength of the UN action, I think it is pretty obvious that the world sees Libyan oil as very important....important enough to protect by whatever means are neccesary.

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By *unky monkeyMan
over a year ago

in the night garden

OK some great posts on the libya here (although I don't get a lot of them) but let's hear about all the other parts of the clitoris and vagina.

The vulva never really gets the recognition it deserves for me!

Any other fave parts other than the libya guys?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Theres a parliamentary debate in the Commons this afternoon starting at 3.30 ...fer any political junkies..

They`re debating the Libyan intervention..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"OK some great posts on the libya here (although I don't get a lot of them) but let's hear about all the other parts of the clitoris and vagina.

The vulva never really gets the recognition it deserves for me!

Any other fave parts other than the libya guys?"

Looks like we`re getting down wid the hood

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By *eaboMan
over a year ago

marden

mmmmm, lybia has oil. Iraq has oil, lets take military action to protect the citizens. Other countries don't have oil and we turn a blind eye for years and let them get on with ethnic cleansing. China kills its own citizens (tianaman sq) and all we do is say thats not nice. Rawanda, the baltic states etc etc. Am i too cynical? Why is america staying in the background publicly, but is right up there politically?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

America is nervous over Iraq and Bahrain...Irans goal of a Shia crescent over the Arabian peninsular is focusing minds...if Iran succeeds in controling more of the oil reserves in the Middle East ..it`ll have massive consequences..Libyas a sideshow..but symbolic..

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

I think China is a completely different matter, they are not in a state of constant or major political unrest in the same way that Iraq was for instance.

Rwanda was the largest instance of genocide since the Nazis with anything between 500,000 and a Million thought murdered in a hundred day period, the UN admitted to being slow on acting but to be fair the situation on the ground was a bit difficult to comprehend as much of the ethnic cleansing took part in jungle villages and went unreported for weeks.

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"mmmmm, lybia has oil. Iraq has oil, lets take military action to protect the citizens. Other countries don't have oil and we turn a blind eye for years and let them get on with ethnic cleansing. China kills its own citizens (tianaman sq) and all we do is say thats not nice. Rawanda, the baltic states etc etc. Am i too cynical? Why is america staying in the background publicly, but is right up there politically?"

i can answer some of the questions...

a) with regards to china, it was russia who actually blocked any un resolution on tianaman sq... actually did it twice

b) the baltic states was always a people lead revolution.. and actually it was china who actually blocked any un resolution on that...

notice the "back slapping going on there

c) the US don't won't to be seen as the ones "leading the mission" so to speak... which is why the US are doing the jamming of the radar signals from warships in the gulf... but not doing the much of the bombing...

if it is seen as a EU/African union/Arab League operation under the auspice of the UN that looks a whole lot better......

look at what gaddafi has done to "play for time so far....

ceasefire - threathen to blown benghazi to bits - followed by another "ceasefire"

invited internation accessors in from Germany, China, Malta and turkey... why those 4???

germany and china abstained (although germany has said they are strongly in favour of the action.. and were at saturdays meeting)

malta and turkey have decined requests for planes to be based there for the missions on libya

now its "lets all march from tripoli to benghazi"

notice how they invited the foreign press into libya.. but won't take them to any of the places they claimed has been bombed... if there were massive civilian casulties wouldn't they want that message sent out... especially to those in the arab world....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

So when will those protectors of life and liberty Comedy Dave and Co be sending our boys to Bahrain and Yemen?

I wont hold my breath.

Rank hypocrisy.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Gadaffis a prick, should've been one shot by the west decades ago.

Not often I agree with war of any kind but this time, yeah, shoot the wanker and anyone who supports him willingly.

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By *abioMan
over a year ago

Newcastle and Gateshead


"So when will those protectors of life and liberty Comedy Dave and Co be sending our boys to Bahrain and Yemen?

I wont hold my breath.

Rank hypocrisy. "

once the Arab League ask them to..... yeman may be over quite quickly now after what happened at the weekend....

would be interesting is Iran started mischief making and put some sort of resoulution with regards to bahrain

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Oil prices have climbed by $2.26 a barrel this morning on the strength of the UN action, I think it is pretty obvious that the world sees Libyan oil as very important....important enough to protect by whatever means are neccesary.

Does not really sound like it is Libya's oil at all.

"

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Never having lived under tyranny ourselves its all too easy to say its not really our argument. When a country's leader says he will show no mercy for the rebels in that country and will slaughter them systematically thats all the alarm bells the world needs to step in. We have the UN for a reason. Its acting in accordance to international law and aircraft from all nations who said yes take action have indeed joined in the action - this time, for a change.

'we want their oil and thats the only reason we are interested'. Of course we want oil supplies to continue.

Those rebels now uprising want the revenue from that oil making their country a better place but the revenue only helps support a lifestyle for tyrants calling themselves a beloved leader. Look at the billions he has milked from his people. We will buy the oil - business as usual I never noticed it being given away.

We show the supressed in these third world countries little glimpses of what oil or other rich resources does and brings to unsupresed countries and thats where the unrest lies. Suppressed want the wealth divided out properly and whats wrong with given a helping hand to allow them ot achieve that goal? We cannot just 'take' oil or resources like in empire times.

We were robbed blind of our gold reserves and north sea oil/gas as a nation. I wish we had the balls to stand up and rebel sometimes.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

What always pisses us off about these despots and tyrants is that when they kick off the governments against them say, as in the present case, "We are not out to target Colonel Gaddafi".

Why the Hell not?

In the old Western films they always aimed for the Chief, once they'd got him the Indians lost heart.

Its the same now, Gaddafi rules through fear and by making sure those close to him are well paid, remove those two elements and the problem is solved.

Besides which, if tyrants realised, that when they acted up, it was them first for the chop instead of the poor misguided buggers they have under their power, they'd be the ones living in fear and be more inclined to tow the line.

XXXX

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It's not the oil itself we're particularly interested in, it's the financial performance of companies which have several layers of British investment which happen to be operating in Libya in the oil industry. Big operators have contracts to produce oil in Libya. That oil gets sold, and to whom it doesn't really matter all that much, but the invested companies need to be the facilitators of that production, refinement and sale to make the return on designing and building the infrastructure in the first place. British financial institutions are heavily invested in these operator companies.

So yes, it really is our business to make sure the outcome is in our favour long term, even if the real motivators are to protect the FTSE100 index.

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By *orestersCouple
over a year ago

The Forest

A war will be fought, wealth will be gained, lives will be lost. Another proud moment in time for humankind.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"A war will be fought, wealth will be gained, lives will be lost. Another proud moment in time for humankind."

And the chief protagonist will be given free passage to a safe haven where he will live out his life in luxury.

XXXX

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By *obbytupperMan
over a year ago

Menston near Ilkley

Why haven't we invaded Zimbabwe yet?

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By *aucy3Couple
over a year ago

glasgow


"I think China is a completely different matter, they are not in a state of constant or major political unrest in the same way that Iraq was for instance.

Rwanda was the largest instance of genocide since the Nazis with anything between 500,000 and a Million thought murdered in a hundred day period, the UN admitted to being slow on acting but to be fair the situation on the ground was a bit difficult to comprehend as much of the ethnic cleansing took part in jungle villages and went unreported for weeks.

"

jane ask the people of tibet,about the nice chinese.

in rwanda,we sent in a peacekeeping force.they set up refugee camps,from where,the perpetrators of mass murder,based themselves,and operated from.

the peace keeping force had no mandate,nor power,to prevent this.

they were only providing,a safe haven.

not one shot was fired in anger by the UN forces.

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Did I say the Chinese were nice?.....

The Chinese haven't launched major assaults on Tibetan seperatists for 50 years, so the Chinese refuse to allow Tibet to become independent.....who are we to say they should agree to it?

It's worth remembering that not everyone in Tibet wants independence from China, are you suggesting we use military force in that area to aid Tibetan seperatists, who do not neccesarily represent the whole of the population?

Not withstanding the fact that the Chinese have a national army of some Three Million personnel....

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay


"Why haven't we invaded Zimbabwe yet? "

Because it would be 25 years too late....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Why haven't we invaded Zimbabwe yet? "
oil...none of it

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Frankly Wishy its nonsense to suggest that we need Libyas oil ...any research will highlight that fact..although Libya is Africas major oil supplier it still only accounts for 4% of worldwide oil reserves ...small fry indeed!! ....the jitters in the market aren`t the loss in oil supply ....Saudi is covering the shortfall with little trouble..the jitters are the unrest in major oil producing countries and tensions between Israel, Iran , Saudi and America..

The reason Libyan oil is so popular is because its high profit margins ....some oil can be sourced for as little as a few dollars ber barrel ...its sweet oil ...low in sulphur and needs little refining ..fantastic profits are the motivator amongst the keen competion of contractors ....and the main beneficiary of Libyan oil is Italy ...an old colonial power ...they`re a bit fucked ..but look elsewhere on the market ..

We don`t need the oil ....so it opens up a wider geo political motivation ...doesn`t it !!.. "

We do need Libya's oil. Maybe not for domestic use in the UK, as, as you correctly said, Saudi can cover our needs. We need Libya's oil so that oil prices remain as stable as possible.

This world is run on and by the financial markets. The slightest twinge in anything and the market makers react swiftly, dragging the price of whatever down or ramping it up - and it's purely to turn a buck and make a profit.

Do market makers care about Libyan or Iraqi civilians dying? Sure they do - because they know the West will step in, causing instability, which pumps up the price of oil, of which they bought millions of barrels on long, 6 months ago. Now they'll short sell more barrels they don't own yet in the hope that West intervention stops the price of oil rising and start falling. The market wins either way.

(that's a very quick guide to Long/Short selling on the money markets, and I haven't even touched upon Futures, CDFs or any of the other mechanisms brokers use to squeeze a pip or two more than the next guy)

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By *eaboMan
over a year ago

marden

worldwide industry and commerce run on oil. Every single man made item on the planet needed oil in its manufacture and transport, and a huge percentage need oil or its derivatives to function. The economies of countries, especially the industrialised nations both established and upcoming depend on oil. And it is running out. Is it a coincidence the emerging industrial nations in the east start to threaten the oil supply to the west by needing more and we start wars to secure our influence in the countries that supply this black 'damme sans merci'. Oil wars were talked about years ago and here they are. Forget the politics, forget the indiginous peoples this is about securing supplies of this black blood we are so reliant on.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Why the f**k should we join in let them fight among themselfs

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

[Removed by poster at 21/03/11 18:53:00]

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Incidentally, does anyone really believe that thousands of bankers/money brokers caused the financial meltdown by pure accident?

It was done by design.

To deliberately drag down the share prices of major companies so that those brokers who had lost heavily on a climbing share price by buying short could recoup those losses when the share price collapsed.

Banker A sells 5m Lloyds TSB shares at 300p per share, but he hasn't actually bought them yet.

He offloads those shares at a Futures price of 350p per share, but he still hasn't bought them yet.

But, the share price continues to climb to 450p per share and he has to satisfy his contracts. He has to shell out £22.5m that he does't have.

What does he do?

He continues trading, deliberately losing money, trying to destabilise the markets so that the price collapses back to under 300p per share, when he can buy his 5m shares that he needs and make a profit on the initial sell price of 350p, plus offset any other losses he's incurred dragging the price down.

He doesn't give a flying fart who has to foot the bill for his losses and the account book will show a successful series of trades thus protecting his bonus come February when bonus season is settled.

Multiply that little scenario a thousand fold and you'll begin to see how the markets are manipulated whichever way the market makers need it to go.

And you and I foot the bill.

Mugs eh?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Incidentally, does anyone really believe that thousands of bankers/money brokers caused the financial meltdown by pure accident?

It was done by design.

To deliberately drag down the share prices of major companies so that those brokers who had lost heavily on a climbing share price by buying short could recoup those losses when the share price collapsed.

Banker A sells 5m Lloyds TSB shares at 300p per share, but he hasn't actually bought them yet.

He offloads those shares at a Futures price of 350p per share, but he still hasn't bought them yet.

But, the share price continues to climb to 450p per share and he has to satisfy his contracts. He has to shell out £22.5m that he does't have.

What does he do?

He continues trading, deliberately losing money, trying to destabilise the markets so that the price collapses back to under 300p per share, when he can buy his 5m shares that he needs and make a profit on the initial sell price of 350p, plus offset any other losses he's incurred dragging the price down.

He doesn't give a flying fart who has to foot the bill for his losses and the account book will show a successful series of trades thus protecting his bonus come February when bonus season is settled.

Multiply that little scenario a thousand fold and you'll begin to see how the markets are manipulated whichever way the market makers need it to go.

And you and I foot the bill.

Mugs eh?"

Do you think any of these people read internet forums? Let alone hold any store by the posts? Where do you get all of this info from? I consider myself well read but never see any of these conspiracy theories first hand. You seem wasted with your big debating brain, on an internet forum. Has Davie C heard about you?

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay


"Frankly Wishy its nonsense to suggest that we need Libyas oil ...any research will highlight that fact..although Libya is Africas major oil supplier it still only accounts for 4% of worldwide oil reserves ...small fry indeed!! ....the jitters in the market aren`t the loss in oil supply ....Saudi is covering the shortfall with little trouble..the jitters are the unrest in major oil producing countries and tensions between Israel, Iran , Saudi and America..

The reason Libyan oil is so popular is because its high profit margins ....some oil can be sourced for as little as a few dollars ber barrel ...its sweet oil ...low in sulphur and needs little refining ..fantastic profits are the motivator amongst the keen competion of contractors ....and the main beneficiary of Libyan oil is Italy ...an old colonial power ...they`re a bit fucked ..but look elsewhere on the market ..

We don`t need the oil ....so it opens up a wider geo political motivation ...doesn`t it !!..

We do need Libya's oil. Maybe not for domestic use in the UK, as, as you correctly said, Saudi can cover our needs. We need Libya's oil so that oil prices remain as stable as possible.

This world is run on and by the financial markets. The slightest twinge in anything and the market makers react swiftly, dragging the price of whatever down or ramping it up - and it's purely to turn a buck and make a profit.

Do market makers care about Libyan or Iraqi civilians dying? Sure they do - because they know the West will step in, causing instability, which pumps up the price of oil, of which they bought millions of barrels on long, 6 months ago. Now they'll short sell more barrels they don't own yet in the hope that West intervention stops the price of oil rising and start falling. The market wins either way.

(that's a very quick guide to Long/Short selling on the money markets, and I haven't even touched upon Futures, CDFs or any of the other mechanisms brokers use to squeeze a pip or two more than the next guy)"

Well said Wishy....$5000 Billion worth of oil estimated to be in Libya's reserves, much of which is pumped with British technology and British equipment.

Time to face up to facts, we fight for oil interests, and for good reason too.

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By *aucy3Couple
over a year ago

glasgow

hallelujah,it has nothing to do with human rights,it's all about oil,at last.

tibet was a country in it's own right,until china invaded in 1950.

as i said in a previous post,china's human rights record is abysmal.

i'm not suggesting,going to war with a super power,but do we have to get right up their arses.

ps jecherchedeux,do you think you could get me on question time,

i've got a new suit.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Do you think any of these people read internet forums? Let alone hold any store by the posts? Where do you get all of this info from? I consider myself well read but never see any of these conspiracy theories first hand. You seem wasted with your big debating brain, on an internet forum. Has Davie C heard about you?"

In my 4-year break from telecoms I got into web design when it was profitable to do so - and a lot of the companies I built websites for were banks in the city. That doesn't make me an expert I know, but when you work alongside these people analysing their business and what they do you tend to pick up how it all works. I know the difference between long and short selling and how the markets moves the way they want it to. The people at the top of the food chain in banking are called Market Makers (google them), and they basically determine which way the market is going to go simply using purchasing power (these are the Warren Buffets and George Soros' of this world), or people like Rupert Murdoch who can turn a market quite easily with selective news coverage.

They 'feed' the brokers who watch what they do very closely and follow suit. Some get it right and some get it wrong. And some are very canny and get right and wrong at the same time and still make a profit.

As for whether they read these forums? Who knows, they're a kinky lot with money to burn so who knows, you may have even shagged one of 'em at a club sometime!

Would I like their job? Not a chance, I don't have that merciless instinct that drives them to make serious amounts of money.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

we are a country of invaders, always have been , always will be, shame we have no planes , ships, and guns, thanks to the conservatives, cameron is the son of maggy, god help us this time .

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

[Removed by poster at 21/03/11 20:04:48]

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

In the early part of the last century Britain invaded Tibet and killed anything between 1,300 and 5,000 inhabitants of Gyangze in the space of three months this was done to quell unrest by Tibetans.

In 1906 the British formally recognised Chinese sovereignty of Tibet and sold it to the Chinese for the equivalent of £40 million in todays money.

The Qing central government established direct rule over Tibet in 1910, making it a province of China.

After the civil war The Peoples Liberation Army of the Republic of China entered Tibet in 1950 at the bequest of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission because of heghtened activity by seperatist rebels loyal to the self exiled Dalai Lama.

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By *ixson-BallsMan
over a year ago

Blackpool


"OK some great posts on the libya here (although I don't get a lot of them) but let's hear about all the other parts of the clitoris and vagina.

The vulva never really gets the recognition it deserves for me!

Any other fave parts other than the libya guys?"

hahaha...very good...i think the most original post on this thread...made me laff...

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By *aucy3Couple
over a year ago

glasgow


"In the early part of the last century Britain invaded Tibet and killed anything between 1,300 and 5,000 inhabitants of Gyangze in the space of three months this was done to quell unrest by Tibetans.

In 1906 the British formally recognised Chinese sovereignty of Tibet and sold it to the Chinese for the equivalent of £40 million in todays money.

The Qing central government established direct rule over Tibet in 1910, making it a province of China.

After the civil war The Peoples Liberation Army of the Republic of China entered Tibet in 1950 at the bequest of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission because of heghtened activity by seperatist rebels loyal to the self exiled Dalai Lama."

different sites,different stories.shocker.

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

It's basic history.....Tibet was part of China from 1906, then when China was embroiled in Civil War the Peoples Liberation Army of China either annexed by force or was invited to annexe the various provinces of the old China into the new Republic.

The various Dalai Lama's over time have claimed Tibet to be independent from China and have sought seperation, the big problem is that the Tibetan population are split pretty equally between Mongols and Tibetans, with the former not wanting seperation from the Republic of China.

Both the Chinese and the Tibetans have used violence to state their position.

The difference is the Chinese government has bigger boots.

People see the Dalai Lama in his pink robes and think he looks like a peaceful fella, they see the Tibetan monks and think how friendly and loving they look, but bubbling underneath is a seperatist movement that operates not unlike the Irish Republican Army.

Not everything is as it seems in life..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Not everything is as it seems in life..

"

Often those espousing peace are the most willing to spill blood in pursuit of it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Not everything is as it seems in life..

Often those espousing peace are the most willing to spill blood in pursuit of it. "

......... usually someone else's.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"hallelujah,it has nothing to do with human rights,it's all about oil,at last.

tibet was a country in it's own right,until china invaded in 1950.

as i said in a previous post,china's human rights record is abysmal.

i'm not suggesting,going to war with a super power,but do we have to get right up their arses.

ps jecherchedeux,do you think you could get me on question time,

i've got a new suit.

"

I could get you a walk on part on Gardeners World if thats any use to you.... then I'd flog your suit on ebay...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"

different sites,different stories.shocker."

Aye, the "Google bar" appears to be the new "G-spot", everyone knows its there, but few of us seem to be able to take full advantage of it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

What a result! One of Gadd's sons taken out.. and by a Libyan no less. Pity it took a kamikaze pilot to do it but still a result none-the-less.

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