Black Watch soldier dies in crash

[leftchick]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3965677.stm


~snip~

A Black Watch soldier has died after a Warrior armoured vehicle overturned as British troops moved to their new base south of Baghdad.
Three others suffered minor injuries in the accident in Iraq's North Babil province, which the army says was not a result of "hostile action".

An 850-strong battle group left Basra in southern Iraq two days ago but were delayed by a series of roadside bombs.

The first UK troops have arrived at the base to take over from a US unit.

Britain agreed to Washington's request for the redeployment to the US-controlled area of central Iraq, but 8,000 UK troops remain in southern Iraq.

[htuttle]

1. As soon as he gets near US troops, he forgets how to drive

What's up with all the vehicle 'accidents'.

:shrug:

[Boomer]

2. It's nasty terrain

From what I've heard, driving fast is mandatory to keep the vehicles from becoming easy targets, but fast driving in bad conditions means a higher risk of accidents. It's not officially labeled a combat situation because they may not be under fire, but that's splitting hairs. These soldiers are dying in accidents because they're driving in a war zone, bullets or no bullets.

[northern]

3. Blair

Blair is doing what all PM's do. Use Scottish soldiers for cannon fodder.

[Bridget Burke]

4. "Bandit Country" by Toby Harnden is an account of South Armagh

Some of the tougher IRA were active there (& some of the tougher Unionists, although that part was omitted). Recently, watch towers manned by the Scottish Borderers have been dismantled--a bit of hope for the future.

But the area has been trouble for a long time. The book quoted an 18th century commander hailing the arrival of Scottish soldiers to replace the "damned English rotters".

[theHandpuppet]

6. You beat me to it --

I was just about to post the same thing.

[Xithras]

7. Unstable vehicled + speed

Military vehicles tend to be designed for durability, not performance, and in turn tend to be top heavy and unstable at high speeds. At highway speeds, especially at the speeds required to get through some combat zones, the vehicles are simply unsafe (my BIL drove a cargo truck that was only rated at 45, but would actually do 70...but if you hit a pothole at 70 you were VERY likely to flip it and the vehicle had NO seatbelts).

Very few military vehicles would pass the inspections required to sell on the civilian market.

[sofa king]

5. I'm really worried for the Black Watch.

I know this is gonna piss a lot of people off for saying it, but the Black Watch are the archetypical Peace Warriors. They are elite, deadly, and yet they have a remarkable reputation for keeping the peace ("remarkable" in both good and bad ways). They may be the very best in the world at peacekeeping.

If afraid the Black Watch is being asked to take on a job too large for it to accomplish. If you ask me, the world needs a lot more Black Watches out there, not one less.