In today's defence-related news there's further reporting on calls for a review of the conviction of Sgt Alexander Blackman, comment about air strikes in Syria and imagery from a RAF Typhoon interception.
Sgt Blackman
Today's Daily Mail, as well as the Daily Telegraph and Times, report on the case of Sergeant Blackman (‘Marine A’), who was found guilty of the murder of a Taliban insurgent in Afghanistan in 2011. The Mail’s coverage centres around an internal report to be published under FOI by the Royal Navy about the case, which has been redacted and which the paper argues is therefore restricting the public's awareness of the service's full assessment of the issues. A series of articles cover the timeline of events in 42 Commando which led up to the shooting, reporting claims that official concerns had been raised about the Marines’ approach in Helmand. Also carried in the stories are comments by Colonel Ollie Lee, Sgt Blackman's former commander, that there was a failure of moral courage in the chain of command. Former Chief of the General Staff, Lord Dannatt, rejects Blackman’s claims that his conviction was about political correctness but is reported as saying that if there is new information, it should be put on the table and the case opened up. The paper’s comment piece also focuses on the issue, saying that while Blackman deserves to be punished, there are so many “disturbing questions” about his murder conviction that it must be quashed so that a new – and this time fair – trial can take place.
The Times includes comments from former Royal Marine Major General Julian Thompson, who says that Sgt Blackman should have been tried for manslaughter rather than murder. He adds that although what Blackman did was wrong, the extenuating circumstances surrounding the incident should have been taken more fully into account. The Daily Telegraph reports that, according to Col Lee, evidence which could have prevented his murder conviction was not heard at his trial.
An MOD spokesperson said:
The MOD followed and supported the legal process throughout. This involved a full criminal investigation and a court martial where witnesses were called by both the independent Service Prosecution Authority and defence counsel. We respect the authority and decision of the court and would, of course, co-operate fully with any future legal process. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.
ISIL
The Daily Telegraph reports that at least 30 Labour MPs are prepared to help David Cameron launch air strikes against ISIL in Syria despite Jeremy Corbyn's opposition to a military intervention. The paper says that it understands that the Prime Minister will call a House of Commons vote on air strikes in Syria in October, with senior allies of Mr Cameron sayings that he will only hold the vote if he is "absolutely certain" it will have the support of Parliament. The Times carries a comment piece by journalist Matthew Parris, who says that if we must bomb Syria, we at least need to be told why. He says that the air strike announcement made earlier this week was a testing of the public mood, and argues the general public is being softened up to the UK joining the fight in Syria.
RAF interception
A variety of outlets, including the Times, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph report that RAF Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth to intercept two Russian aircraft that were flying close to British airspace. Reflecting information provided by the MOD, stories say that the Typhoons escorted the Russian Blackjacks while they were in the UK area of interest.
Squadron Leader Jim Calvert of II(AC) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth flew one of the RAF Typhoons involved in the mission. He said:
Given the Royal Air Force’s enduring commitment to secure the UK’s skies, Thursday’s sortie once again proved Typhoon’s capability to successfully scramble and intercept Russian long-range aviation. Protecting our skies is especially poignant in this 75th anniversary year of the Battle of Britain. Working together with ground-based radar and air-to-air refuelling aircraft today’s RAF continues to come together as a team to protect our country.
Afghan translator
As part of their ongoing coverage of the issue of Afghan interpreters, the Daily Mail says that an Afghan translator for the British military told last night how he escaped a Taliban rocket attack in the latest attempt to kill those who worked with UK troops. The linguist, known as Ahmad, now joins a string of other interpreters in claiming he has been abandoned by the British. Read Minister for Armed Forces Penny Mordaunt's comments on the issue here.
Typhoon
There is coverage in the Times, Financial Times, Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraphof the news that Kuwait has agreed a memorandum of understanding to buy up to £5.8 billion worth of Eurofighter Typhoon jets, with outlets reporting that the deal, if signed, will deliver a boost to Italy’s Finmeccanica, the UK’s BAE Systems and Airbus. Articles are careful to say that the deal is “tentative”, with the MoU yet to be translated into a finalised contract, leaving a degree of uncertainty around the sale.
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