Another Year for Sgt Blackman

Actually, I am quite surprised to be writing this.

Before continuing I should point out I'm neither a serving or retired Royal Marine. Or for that matter any other form of service personnel. In fact if I was asked to tackle the Marines rookie assault course I'd probably drop dead a quarter way through (on a good day).

But even so, as a bog standard “member of the public” I can like most folk, still smell the stench of a political stitch-up.

Last year (HERE) I wrote about the cavalier injustice that was handed out to one of our bravest and best. Namely one Sgt Blackman of the Royal Marines.. But my words are an insignificance.

In a stunning year, a brilliant campaign run by utter and complete political novices managed to get one petition signed by well in excess of 100,000 people. There were also (ordered and polite) demonstrations and other petitions and displays of objection to this travesty of justice.

The government spin doctors were grudgingly forced to mouth their platitudes again and again to the outraged and disbelieving public. The governments fatuous statements sounding more hollow each time.

As a bystander, I was expecting Cameron to smell the coffee and at least arrange something (anything) to get Sgt Blackman out of jail before Christmas.

I was wrong.

I don't know if this inaction is due to crass incompetence, cowardice, or that Cameron just doesn't give a toss. Most probably it is a mix of all three.

Of course the metropolitan elitist snobs who sneer at the likes of Sgt Blackman, his mates and supporters are probably chortling away.

They'll be laughing at how Cameron is so ready to betray a brave and damaged man to the god of political correctness. They'll snigger at Cameron's gutlessness and how he is so ready to sell out one of the few defenders of democracy this country has.

We must remember that above all else, that is what Sgt Blackman and his colleagues are. They are the defenders of our democracy. They are the last line of defence of our freedoms. They do as the elected government directs them. Which is eternally to their honour.

A quote attributed to George Orwell (and sometimes mis-attributed to Churchill) reads:

We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

We stand free to blog/write/argue/love and live free because of Sgt Blackman and his colleagues.

If these defenders of our freedom walked away, maybe in disgust at the way Sgt Blackman has been treated  .... We would really be in trouble.

Decency and common justice demands Sgt Blackman should be released . Not only that, he should be generously compensated for his false imprisonment.

This issue will NOT go away. People will not give up. For the metropolitan elite, this will only get worse the longer it goes on. It will get more embarrassing and more politically damaging.

The only way forward is for the government and judiciary to acknowledge a gross injustice has been done. Even though this may be politically embarrassing - it has to be done.

We await (with growing anger) the immediate release of Sgt. Blackman RM

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To follow the campaign to getting Sgt Blackman the freedom and justice he rightly deserves:

https://www.facebook.com/justiceformarineA/

http://www.justiceformarinea.com/

Follow the campaign on Twitter with handle @justiceforBigAl 

hashtags #justiceformarineA #freemarineA #marineA

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A New Year for Sgt Blackman

I don't usually comment on miscarriages of justice especially as many of these so-called injustices often appear to be little more than an excuse by no-win no-fee lawyers to turn a deal.

But there is one current injustice that has become a national itch. An itch that will not go away. An itch that if not addressed will develop into a running sore. We have enough of those already in this country.

To stay silent makes me a part of the injustice, a part of the problem. So forgive me this brief foray out of the usual track of this blog. But I must state where I stand on the case of Sgt Blackman.

Sgt Blackman is a Royal Marine with an exemplary service record. He has served with distinction in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afganistan. To put it simply, Sgt Blackman and his colleague have been the folk fielding the shit while successive ego-centric governments have pranced about on the world stage in order to show us what super-dynamic politicians they are.

Actually I'm not arguing with that. I don't suppose Sgt Blackman would either. After all, that was his job.

What I am arguing with is that Sgt Blackman is today in jail serving a life sentence for the murder of a seriously wounded/dying/dead Taliban insurgent he shot on the battlefield.

Basically Sgt Blackman and colleagues were on an active battlefield. An air strike has killed a number of insurgents. There was one left who was either dying from his wounds or died as they arrived on the scene.

Sgt Blackman shot the insurgent. He was then charged with murder.

But what really caused Sgt Blackman to be tried for murder was a stupid little diatribe he spoke after he fired the shot. This diatribe was recorded and used against him.

Sgt Blackman had good cause to be resentful of the Taliban, as do very many of the service personnel who have served in Afghanistan. Many of their friends have been killed and seriously injured by underhand attacks. The Taliban have regularly used children or villagers as human shields. IEDs are usually laced with dog faeces and any other poison the Taliban could lay hold of.

The Geneva Convention never really featured in Taliban combat philosophy.

While out there on that day, Sgt Blackman (and his comrades) must all have been aware of the immediate possibility of losing limbs or life to a cruel and ruthless enemy.

It is hardly surprising a modicum of spite featured in the now notorious speech.

Remember this was an active battlefield. It was not a base camp. Neither was it a peaceful village. Nor was there any doubt that the dying Taliban was a combatant. The dying Taliban had presumably, (until taken out by the air strike) been doing his very best to kill Sgt Blackman and his comrades.

To suggest from the comfort and safety of the Home Counties that Sgt Blackman committed murder is a palpable nonsense.

Maybe Sgt Blackman broke military discipline and needed a dressing down by his commanding officer. Maybe he needed to see a shrink about stress and the pent-up anger he expressed at the enemy.

But should he have been charged with murder? Seriously?

Charged with murder for a decision made in a life threateningly hostile and stressful combat situation? Really?

I suppose there is a class of people in this country who would actively support the conviction of Sgt Blackman. All I can say to them that nobody has the right to demand rules applicable to Surbiton or Hampstead be applied to such dangerous situation.

The conviction smacks of a political convenience. A sacrificial appeasement to those who view this country with disdain and would rather side with the Taliban than their own countrymen.

Personally I believe Sgt Blackman should not only be released, he should be fully restored into the Royal Marines (If that is his wish). Then he should be paid a considerable sum as compensation for this politically motivated miscarriage of justice.

Sgt Blackman is at this time a hostage to political correctness. A sacrifice to appease the harridan demands of those who wish to see (or at least imagine) the worst of the UK and its faithful servants. 

Whether it is this year, next year, or the year after that, the running sore that is this injustice will have to be addressed. In the end this will not be allowed to stand.

The longer it goes on the worse it will be for everyone.