Brits Blamed for Cooperation

While on one level I agree with the sentiments in this column, as someone brighter than me has noted, when soldiers trust implicitly that their leaders and their government will never abandon them, will do whatever it takes to rescue them, they can be expected to hold out with honor and hope.

Given the political atmosphere today, a captured American or Brit can surely not have that implicit trust, as both countries have demonstrated that appeasement, weakness and lack of spine are the order of the day.

It seems to me it would not take much imagination or brainwashing for hostages to assume that they are insignificant, expendable pawns to leaders who are more afraid of being politically incorrect than of betraying and abandoning their own to savage enemies.

The "rules of engagement" both Americans and Brits are forced to follow on the battlefield in Iraq clearly demonstrate that their welfare and survival is less important to their governments than being seen as properly multi-cultural and politically correct by the very enemy shooting them down...as does watching comrades be killed and captured because commanders refuse to allow you to fight.

If morale is low, if trust in command is thin, if hostages lose faith, look to their governments, leaders and commanders.

The Gunslinger