Disqus - Latest Comments for CSOB

Re: Nabila Ramdani: A fiercely left-wing leader to strike fear into the hearts of France's rich

CSOB — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:38:43 -0000

This is all excellent news, looks like the UK may benefit massively from a socialist France.

Re: Amy Childs: 'I don't bitch about no one'

CSOB — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:14:38 -0000

At first I thought this article was just being sarcastic, but no, apparently not?

Re: Military furious at plans to prepare cover for prison staff strike

CSOB — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 09:52:29 -0000

Don't worry, soon the armed forces will have to cover MPs when they strike about pay (obviously when the independent pay review comes in)

Re: Libyan rebels: 'Why won't the world help us?'

CSOB — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:07:21 -0000

I definitely think it'd be worth it if a stable Libya emerges, but that's a big if.

I still think the upper hand is definitely with the loyalists, even with defected and captured vehicles.

Re: Libyan rebels: 'Why won't the world help us?'

CSOB — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:53:48 -0000

It is much cheaper and easier, i was merely suggesting that up front costs may not be as simple as they appear. Additional support troops will be necessary in all of these bases, and the cost of this operation is still going to be high, where is this additional money going to come from, especially when we're already preparing to cut the military budget?

I don't think a no fly zone is anything more than a token measure, it won't doubt it'll do enough to change the outcome, I just can't see the rebels winning against heavy armour and organised and co-ordinated military assaults, especially when they're divided themselves and don't have the infrastructure to do anything more than guerilla fighting. They require western aid such as weapons, ammunition and vehicles, not just a token fighter flying above them every so often, admittedly if they were going to do that they'd need a no fly zone, but I think you either go into it to support the rebels, or you don't go into it all.

Re: Libyan rebels: 'Why won't the world help us?'

CSOB — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:17:49 -0000

Rotating fighter squadrons, you still need to protect them, supply them and train them. Its not a case of just sending a few fighters out there, the amount of personnel it takes is massive (take a very different example, afghanistan, only 40% of troops on the ground are combat forces, and thats a mature war zone) Its not as simple as just a few good men, especially in new combat operations, the logistical support and cost is much much larger.

Yeah you can destroy the airforce, it won't stop Gaddafi winning, it'll give the rebels a chance but its definitely advantage to loyalist forces. If you looked at recent reports, aircraft sorties have actually reduced, yet loyalist forces are still taking rebel held territory. And as with the Balkans, it won't stop atrocities, it'll just mean we get a closer look.

Re: Cameron faces backbench pay revolt

CSOB — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:37:41 -0000

Finally, next year we will have a system when MPs no longer decide their own salary, maybe we should put them on the pay of a private soldier for 6 months as a measure to curb the deficit, or even a Police Officer, Nurse or Military Officer, public service is just as it says, serving the public. If they're worried about pay should they really be in government?

Re: Libyan rebels: 'Why won't the world help us?'

CSOB — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 05:00:53 -0000

I think the key word is substantial aid, remember our armed forces need their down time as well, almost all battalion in the army have a cool down of 6 months before they start beat up training again, similar to RAF. You can't just send them out willy nilly. Its a massive logistical operation, it'll cost millions (more like billions), I don't think our armed forces budget (which is under threat again for the second time in a year) can handle it, especially while we're engaged in a war elsewhere. We're relying on our partners to do the actual work, really any aid we give would be more of a token of support than any real help, especially when its unlikely a no fly zone would work (Balkans?)

Before the revolution Gadaffi's regime was a stable regime, as was Saddam's, we shouldn't expect that this revolution will bring change automatically, plenty of revolutions have ended with the replacement of a brutal dictator with an equally brutal dictators.

The money could be better spent on civil projects (or god forbid to stop these ridiculous cuts to the armed forces)

Re: Libyan rebels: 'Why won't the world help us?'

CSOB — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:55:39 -0000

You ever feel like this is rather ironic?

Re: Libyan rebels: 'Why won't the world help us?'

CSOB — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:52:55 -0000

Hear Hear, Its time for North African and Middle Eastern countries to start stepping up the plate so to speak, they only ever come to the international stage when they're asking for help, never offering any, or offering any returns when they are doing well.

Re: Libyan rebels: 'Why won't the world help us?'

CSOB — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:27:46 -0000

With defence cuts and prior commitments in the middle east, does the UK really expect to be able to provide an substantial aid to Libya, let alone be able to justify the use of millions of pounds to supply aircraft, ammunition, logistics, protection and crew with which to enforce a no fly zone when we're already struggling to maintain an armed forces in need of restructuring and change.

In principal I agree with intervention, however it can be argued that it could only exacerbate the situation (White Forces in Russian Revolution). We are not in a position to make demands nor intervene and really we're relying on our NATO allies to provide the meat of this proposal. Everyone knows ground troops are not an option, do we really have the capability (with the loss of the aircraft carriers and substantial cuts to the RAF) to compete on the world stage.