It’s just acceptable is it ?

GG13 could you explain why this is being done in Kabul, how many British dignatories are there and when Corbyn is expected please. I always thought that close protection was done by the police and MI5.

trisher the Armed Forces train continually even whilst deployed.

trisher I am not repeating my previous posts.

Did you trisher? Prince Harry was protected by the Ghurkas

*And yes I am totally biased towards all our armed forces, they do a magnificent job worldwide.^

I feel the same way.

Sadly, Corbyn, who it seems would sell the UK down the river to appease our enemies, is not popular with forces families or indeed (dirty word coming up - brace yourselves ) patriots.

He has been likened to an enemy of the state.

I still don't think a picture of anyone's face should be used for target practice though. (I thank those who have tried to explain why this might happen.)

It's just that as they are in Kabul and presumably there are more Afghan dignatories in need of protection they might be better off using their pictures for training. Particularly as they are less likely to be as well known to them as Corbyn must be.

Day6 I will try to clarify further, they shoot at regular targets, which can and do flip every so often and can either have an image of an enemy or a friend giving them a split second to make the decision to fire or not.

Technically they are not using images of dignitaries for firing practice.

I agree with your post.

This isn't a flip target it's a large poster. Google it and look -but good try. Defending the indefensible is hard.

I actually hope they also use images of the Royal Family, Theresa May and anyone else in need of armed protection.

These often repeated training exercises save lives.

@Anniebach
In your book, I doubt anything Corbyn did would get a recommend from you, however good, useful or helpful!
If you looked back at various politicians' mumblings over the years you'll see some pretty nasty offerings - from both sides.
For me, one of the most unpleasant and downright unecessary comments was made towards May, a woman I do not hold in esteem, by Leadsom... you will probably remember the observation about her not being a mother.
Even though I have little respect for May, I felt quite hurt on her behalf - a woman who had admitted in public that she would like to have had children, but couldn't.
What I'm trying to point out is that many 'pollies' say things that are out of order, they get attention, then they get forgotten... unless it's Corbyn - who is constantly invoked as the devil incarnate in some quarters.
... also, it is possible, if you allow objectivity to rule your head rather than hatred to rule your heart, you can respect and even empathise with your political opponents, when necessary.
I would have found May's face being used as target training as repugnant as using Corbyn's.

Thanks for the clarification GG.

I can understand that a soldier has to react quickly and determine whether to shoot or not. The use of 'personalities' on targets makes perfect sense in that context.. (I think I saw something similar in a James Bond film too, or a film of that nature - the need to decide within a split second whether to shoot or hold fire.)

We didn't have the relevant context when we read the OP.

trisher I have known it's a poster since 10.00am this morning, what you have no idea about is whether or not it is fixed to a swivel target which is the norm.

I have been trying to explain how our Armed Forces continually train, especially the "sharp shooters".

say things that are out of order, they get attention, then they get forgotten... unless it's Corbyn - who is constantly invoked as the devil incarnate in some quarters

And left-wingers and Corbyn supporters don't feel the same way about Jacob Rees-Mogg, vigdis?

If we are going to make a victim of Corbyn, then JRM deserves the same defence, surely? Play fair.

As does Boris.

Day6 thank you.

Day 6 To be absolutely fair any member of the H of Cs is fair game at the moment they are all getting more "pantomime like" by the minute, and not in a good way.

It is of course completely unacceptable to use anybody's picture for target practice, but J C hasn't exactly endeared himself to the armed forces, particularly with his views on the prosecution of British soldiers versus the exoneration of terrorists on all sides for equally hideous crimes! Remember Captain Nirrac,remember Mrs Jean McDonnell, also an Irish woman who offered an injured British soldier a cup of tea, she disappeared only for her skull to be discovered many years later,with a bullet in the back of her head! Squaddies, rightly or wrongly, don't take kindly to one sided, as they see it, prosecutions.

@Day6
Do you think all leftwingers regard 'patriotism' as a dirty word? I'm left of centre, and patriotic.
There is a difference between patriotism and nationalism.

Really vigdis ? There is a post on this thread criticising a comment by a Tory MP in 1970 and you must have missed the countless posts on this forum mocking an employee of a family going back to 1969

If the armed forces are busy saving elephants and building bridges why are they trained to shoot human targets?

trisher if you examine the video carefully you can see that the "poster" is held by a "swivel" at the top.

I find it very odd that you continue to defend this GG13 when the Mof D has said it is totally unacceptable. And it's a poster hanging from 2 clips on a line.

Lily65 in answer to your question........in times of conflict they need to make a decision on who is foe or friend in a split second. This is not training to shoot humans but to defend those in need.

Would you rather they didn't train and become a totally ineffectual force?

An Army spokesperson has stated that the video demonstrated "totally unacceptable behaviour". That I feel indicates that this type of training is not standard practise in the British Armed forces.

With many MPs receiving death threats at the present time, surely any training that combines perceived violence against persons involved in Britains political establishment at any level is to be thoroughly deplored

Do you think all leftwingers regard 'patriotism' as a dirty word? I'm left of centre, and patriotic.

Um, I didn't say all left wingers regard patriotism as a dirty word, did I, but I did suggest Corbyn would never be labelled a patriot.

And thanks for the patronising There is a difference between patriotism and nationalism <sigh>

#needaneyerollemoji