Category Archives: Polls
Three more Australian soldiers shot dead in Afghanistan + Poll
Once again we have the news of 3 more brave aussies killed and seven more injured in Afghanistan.
Reports have not named the three but say that a corporal, captain and lance corporal were members of the Mentoring Task Force in southern Afghanistan. Of the three, the corporal and lance corporal were on their first deployment to Afghanistan while the captain was on a second tour.The corporal and the captain had earlier this year taken part in flood and cyclone relief operations in Queensland. Of the wounded, one soldier was being treated for life threatening wounds, four had serious wounds, and the other two had minor wounds. An Afghan interpreter was also killed.
News of the Australian deaths came as a suicide car bomber in the capital Kabul struck a US-run NATO bus travelling through the south-west of the city, killing at least 17 people, including 13 US soldiers. It is not known at this stage if both are connected.
The biggest question right now is should we bring our people home. My personal feeling on this is YES. If one rebel can infiltrate the Afghanistan Army how many more have. It is concerning because where else have these rebels infiltrated, just going along day by day waiting to strike.
How high a price are we willing to pay?
The Australian forces in Afghanistan have suffered 32 fatalities. 207 soldiers have been wounded.
United States deaths, more than 1,450 have died in hostile action and 14,611 have been wounded in action in Afghanistan.
British forces have suffered 383 fatalities and 1,802 wounded in action, another 3,472 have suffered from disease or non-battle injuries.
This list goes on in fact there have been a total of 2,716 Coalition deaths in Afghanistan.
There is no war against terror that we can possibly win that will eradicate the extremist views and actions. Last week President Hamid Karzai said in an interview, Afghanistan would support Pakistan in case of military conflict between Pakistan and the United States. So tell me again why we are there. Its time these people stood up and took some resopnsibility and trained their own people. Its time to bring our people home.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said it was a bitter day for Australia, and acknowledged that public support for Australia’s mission in Afghanistan could be further damaged by the incident. She urged Australians not to judge the progress of the mission on one incident alone.
One incident alone, well I dont know how it can be called one incident when this is the second time this year an ANA soldier has targeted a member of the ADF. Lance Corporal Andrew Jones was shot dead by a rogue ANA soldier. That to me raises some serious questions. Questions i think our governments need to be able to answer if they want to justify our troops being there.
How do we know we are training the right people when the ANA dont even know who they have on their side?
Fears of infiltration within the Afghan army ranks have risen as Western backers fund and train a huge expansion of the fledgling national force ahead of the withdrawal of all foreign combat forces scheduled for 2014.
The ADF has launched an investigation to determine whether the gunman, from the ANA’s 6th Kandak unit, was a Taliban or terrorist infiltrator, or whether there was another motivation for the attack. Little is yet known about the shooter but it is believed he had been in the force for some time and was not a new recruit. well to me that raises a lot of concerns.
No matter what the motivation behind the attacks the fact remains a rebel has been a member of the ANA for some time undetected. Striking out when he saw fit killing our men. No one can know how the families of these men feel. Yes they volunteered to defend us, but at no time did they sign up to be sitting ducks. How many more rebels are in the ANA? The longer we stay there the greater the odds of this happening again. Lets get our people out now!!!
Sympathies, prayers and thoughts to family, friends and colleagues.
Lest We Forget.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-29/three-australian-soldiers-killed-in-afghanistan/3608612
http://news.yahoo.com/3-australian-soldiers-killed-afghanistan-220152308.html
http://www.news.com.au/national/aussie-troops-shot-dead-in-afghanistan/story-e6frfkvr-1226180499845
CHINA; 2 year old in hit and run.Ignored and left for dead + Poll
On October 13th, closed circuit cameras caught a van running over a two-year-old girl on a narrow Foshan street. The driver takes off, which would be outrage enough. But perhaps even worse than the original sin, the same cameras caught more than a dozen people over the next few minutes passing by without so much as a pause, unconcerned for the fate of the downed toddler.
More than a dozen people over the next seven minutes walk or drive past the girl on bicycles and she is run over by a second truck, state media reported on Monday. A woman then pulls the girl to the side of the street before her mother, a migrant worker in the city, rushes into the frame.
The girl, now hospitalized, is in a coma, China’s Xinhua news agency reported, citing doctors. The country’s official English-language newspaper China Daily, said the girl had been declared “brain dead” and that she could die at any time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwhVUL-H46M
14 Year old boy arrested in Bali
Well once again we have an Australian facing drug charges in bali.This time it is a 14 year old boy,from Lake Macquarie in NSW, who was allegedly caught with a small amount of Marijuana. The boy is currently being held at bali Police headquarters in Denpasar. He was on holidays with his parents and staying in the luxury resort area of Legian, and was with a friend when he was allegedly caught with 3.6 grams of marijuana (6.9g gross weight). It’s alleged he bought the marijuana for about $28 after being approached by a dealer while on his way to get a massage in Kuta earlier in the afternoon.
Under strict Indonesian drug laws he could be held in a Bali police cell without charge for 30 days and tried as an adult. The maximum sentence for possession of the drug in Bali is 12 years. If he is found guilty, the sentence would be served in the notorious Kerobokan jail, alongside murderers, sex offenders and fellow Australians Schapelle Corby and members of the Bali Nine drug gang, who are currently languishing there. If he is convicted on possession charges, the teenager’s only solace could be a peculiar, unwritten rule in the Indonesian justice system that usually allows juvenile offenders to receive half the sentence an adult would receive – in this case, six years’ jail.
His his lawyer Mohammad Rifan said it was possible the boy was set up by the person who approached him. “This boy didn’t know the situation in Kuta, the people there. It’s difficult to know if someone is actually a drug dealer or not,” he said. “Whether he’s being trapped, tricked or not, we’re still investigating that.” Rifan told The Associated Press the arresting police officers had broken Indonesian rules for dealing with child suspects by not allowing the boy’s a new urine test for drugs. Mr Rifan dismissed reports the boy was being held in a cell with other criminal suspects at the police station, saying he was in a separate room with his parents. He Said police only had 20 days to complete their investigations before they must hand over the case to the prosecutor. If charged with possession under adult law, the boy could face a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison. However, Mr Rifan has said it is possible he will be charged under provisions for juveniles, in which case the maximum penalty will be six years.
Mr Rudd said that Australian officials were working closely with Indonesian authorities and had also been in contact with the family. “I have just spoken with our ambassador in Jakarta and I have indicated to him that his number one priority in the immediate period ahead is how we support this young boy and his family and do everything we can to obtain his early return to Australia,” He said there were no concerns for the boy’s health or welfare. He added that the Indonesian legal system must be respected, and there should be no expectation of an immediate resolution.
Psychiatrist Donny Thong revealed the teen had used marijuana occasionally in the presence of friends during the past two years. This admission could lead a judge to recommend rehabilitation at home in Australia. Dr Thong, who treated Schapelle Corby and members of the Bali Nine, said he would hand a full report to the boy’s lawyer tomorrow. It is understood the report will say the teen’s young age should be taken into account and that he should not be sent to prison.
Now we dont know a whole lot more about this case but one thing we do know is a 14 year old boy should know right from wrong, but if for some reason he didnt why was he not supervised by his parents? So set up or not he should have known to say no and walk away. The laws in Bali are well known, even a 14 year old should have been able to grasp them.
Spot of fun with a Dash of Serious 