[SkyPilot]

It pains me to criticize the British. They have performed with bravery and honor. But these 15 deserve our contempt.

Peters went on to say this:

______________________________________________________________________________

No matter how codes of conduct for prisoners of war are worded, none countenances voluntary collaboration with the enemy. A POW doesn't have to engage in daily violent resistance, but he's obligated to avoid providing active support to his captors.

The Brit hostages failed the test, and theirs was a failure of leadership. Perhaps the enlisted sailors and Royal Marines can be redeemed, but their officers need to be cashiered. Another ironclad military rule - not always fair, but generally wise - runs that, "An officer is responsible for everything his subordinates do or fail to do." While the two Brit officers, held separately from their sailors and marines, obviously couldn't control every subordinate's actions, the speed with which some enlisted personnel complied with what their captors asked says a great deal about the atmosphere prevailing in the unit.

Queried as to why they agreed to do propaganda broadcasts for the Iranians, neither officer behaved as officers should. The right answer would have been: What we did was wrong. We're ashamed. Instead, we got repugnant swagger and hair-splitting over qualifying adjectives and adverbs - We didn't really say what we said.

Good officers don't whine and dodge.

They accept responsibility.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"...the speed with which some enlisted personnel complied with what their captors asked says a great deal about the atmosphere prevailing in the unit."

Perhaps this is one small reason why the length of time that United States military personnel 'enjoy' much longer stays at the hands of enemy forces when held hostage.

[maica]

I’m sorry that Ralph Peters had to write this article but someone had to do it. Those Brit officers are the opposite of everything we believe about conduct becoming, etc.

No matter how they were treated offcamera, their behavior on camera was disgraceful.

[MizSterious]

This is the heart of it:

The right answer would have been: What we did was wrong. We're ashamed. Instead, we got repugnant swagger and hair-splitting over qualifying adjectives and adverbs - We didn't really say what we said.

And then there's the ring kissing thing, and the nuggies while they waited for their transport...

[mortal19440]

Read the book called The Mark of the Lion. It details the courage of Charles Upham, a New Zealand soldier in WW II who earned TWO Victoria Crosses.

[mass55th]

"But these 15 deserve our contempt."

I'm not ready to condemn all 15 until I know exactly which ones cooperated with Iran and which ones didn't. I'd have to say that a series of three photos posted here on FR:

Click Here

show a definite division in cooperation among the group. I'm hoping that there were at least a few sailors/marines who chose not to go with the flow. And I'm guessing, that those that did cooperate willingly, will be shunned and ignored by the bulk of their fellow sailors/marines. At least one can hope they will be.

[PISANO]

Those 15 Brits were TESTED.......sadly, they FAILED!!