Libya

[Webbo]

Of course, perhaps we could have sent an aircraft carrier, if we had one with aircraft on it. Ooops, another government mistake!

Useless, utterly useless (and shameful).

The sort of plane you get on an aircraft carrier don't tend to have passenger seats.

[l444ry]

The sort of plane you get on an aircraft carrier don't tend to have passenger seats.

Dear oh dear, Webbo!!

A litle bit of air cover for the region, possible evacuation and any incoming passenger aircraft would be useful, wouldn't it?

[breadandcheese]

I expect better from you Bilo. Two wrongs don't make a right and bringing Blair's appalling Labour Party record into this is a smokescreen. It's Cameroon's show now and my original post stands as factually uncontestable.

The problems in Libya have been brewing for several weeks, so what has happened in the last few days should be no surprise, yet our government has shown itself to be utterly useless in its response.

The UK government decided to hire a plane that was broken, then their utter failure was compounded by the fact that a UK oil company beat the UK government in getting a flight out to Libya.

Meanwhile, whilst all this is happening we have a Prime Minister peddling arms dealers around the Middle East, and a Deputy Prime Minister (where are you Mr Clegg) who was on holiday ! Couldn't they see this coming? Everybody else could!

There are British nationals holed up in remote desert bases, many of which have airstrips, saying that they have contacted the UK government. Their families have contacted the UK government and nothing is being done.

Of course, perhaps we could have sent an aircraft carrier, if we had one with aircraft on it. Ooops, another government mistake!

Useless, utterly useless (and shameful).

It's amazing how Labour supporters can brush off the last 13 years by simply saying Blair was bad and we didn't want to do any of the things his government did.

P.s. We would have a better military if the previous government hadn't c*cked up the finances of the country. Talking of the aircraft carrier being buillt with no planes to go on it, this was Gordon Brown's doing. In using his vested interest to protect jobs in his constituency, he ensured that the aircraft carriers would be built, but this meant the budget for the military could not be spread evenly, so as we are locked into a contract to build the aircraft carriers, we have had to cut other areas, hence no planes to go on them.

[sdb]

It's amazing how Labour supporters can brush off the last 13 years ...etc

...and then you blame them for everything going on now, even though they've been out of power for a year! How long do the Tories get until ****ing stuff up is actually their fault?!

[Webbo]

Dear oh dear, Webbo!!

A litle bit of air cover for the region, possible evacuation and any incoming passenger aircraft would be useful, wouldn't it?

So you're suggesting that we take on the Libyan airforce? I thought the left were anti-war.

[l444ry]

It's amazing how Labour supporters can brush off the last 13 years by simply saying Blair was bad and we didn't want to do any of the things his government did.

P.s. We would have a better military if the previous government hadn't c*cked up the finances of the country. Talking of the aircraft carrier being buillt with no planes to go on it, this was Gordon Brown's doing. In using his vested interest to protect jobs in his constituency, he ensured that the aircraft carriers would be built, but this meant the budget for the military could not be spread evenly, so as we are locked into a contract to build the aircraft carriers, we have had to cut other areas, hence no planes to go on them.

Now who is getting all party political? For the record (again) I left the Labour Party when that tosspot assumed the leadership.

[Webbo]

...and then you blame them for everything going on now, even though they've been out of power for a year! How long do the Tories get until ****ing stuff up is actually their fault?!

When Labour stop blaming everything on Mrs Thatcher.

[Trav Le Bleu]

I was pleased to see the defecting Libyan pilots who landed in Malta earlier in the week. Sadly there were only two, which mean there must have been a few (let's not over-egg the size of the Libyan airforce) who didn't. It scares me that soldiers will turn on the very people that they're supposed to be there to protect.

As for the British government sending planes to rescue people in Libya, why? I doubt that there's no one over there "on holiday", or "just happened to get caught up in it". Apart from the abassadorial staff, to whom obviosuly the government has an obligation as their employers, they should be be left to fend for themselves. I can't think that there is a single Brit there (I'm extremely doubtful that Libya allows charity or aid workers in) who has gone there with out realising that this is on of the most volatile countries in the world and that, as such, high risks might mean big money. You can't gamble and expect someone else to bail you out.

Unless you're a bank.

[Webbo]

I was pleased to see the defecting Libyan pilots who landed in Malta earlier in the week. Sadly there were only two, which mean there must have been a few (let's not over-egg the size of the Libyan airforce) who didn't. It scares me that soldiers will turn on the very people that they're supposed to be there to protect.

Apparently a lot of the soldiers firing on civilians are foreign mercenaries.

[l444ry]

So you're suggesting that we take on the Libyan airforce? I thought the left were anti-war.

The Rt. Honourable Gentleman should stay in context when commenting on posts, otherwise he becomes incomprehensible!!! Straw men and all that............

[Zingari]

When Labour stop blaming everything on Mrs Thatcher.

She did allow the Yanks to use RAF bases to launch the bombing raids on Libya in 86 , and he called her a

murdering prostitute , so i guess she has to shoulder some of the blame .

ps ;

I love it when you lot get together, toe to toe in political argie bargies

[Webbo]

The Rt. Honourable Gentleman should stay in context when commenting on posts, otherwise he becomes incomprehensible!!! Straw men and all that............

Talking of 'incomprehensible', wtf are you going on about?

[Webbo]

She did allow the Yanks to use RAF bases to launch the bombing raids on Libya in 86 , and he called her a

murdering prostitute , so i guess she has to shoulder some of the blame .

ps ;

I love it when you lot get together, toe to toe in political argie bargies

We all love it really.

[Zingari]

We all love it really.

keep up the good work ,

i just wish i knew which side i was on , i love you all

ps

I just wish Empty was here to give the another "alternative" view

[Trav Le Bleu]

She did allow the Yanks to use RAF bases to launch the bombing raids on Libya in 86 , and he called her a

murdering prostitute , so i guess she has to shoulder some of the blame .

ps ;

I love it when you lot get together, toe to toe in political argie bargies

I like Webbo.

But then again, I like L444ry.

Which one is better?

[Zingari]

I like Webbo.

But then again, I like L444ry.

Which one is better?

oi

don't forget breadandcheese , jon the hat and sdb

this is a super rumble

actually, i thought you were in it too

[davieG]

She did allow the Yanks to use RAF bases to launch the bombing raids on Libya in 86 , and he called her a

murdering prostitute , so i guess she has to shoulder some of the blame .

ps ;

I love it when you lot get together, toe to toe in political argie bargies

FFS don't bring the Falklands into it.

[Trav Le Bleu]

oi

don't forget breadandcheese , jon the hat and sdb

this is a super rumble

actually, i thought you were in it too

I'm slinking off to Whitehall with a suitcase of wonga!

[Guest BlueBrett]

...and then you blame them for everything going on now, even though they've been out of power for a year! How long do the Tories get until ****ing stuff up is actually their fault?!

I'd say about 5 years is a fair amount of time to fix the deep systemic problems that were left behind. Certainly more than 9 months

[Zingari]

FFS don't bring the Falklands into it.

The Malvinas if you please , it ain't over yet

[Trav Le Bleu]

The Malvinas if you please , it ain't over yet

It's all gonna kick off!!!

[Jon the Hat]

The idea that the UK government should be retrieving people who apparently should have seen this coming but foolishly remained in desert camps where they have been merrily collecting their danger money without it appears considering the danger, while boosting the coffers of a violent lunatic is really ****ing funny isn't it??

[Fosse Boy]

Im talking about the ruling party ..... Gaddafi`s henchmen.

Ah. Apologies in that case. My satire radar was evidently off.

[Guest Bilo]

I expect better from you Bilo. Two wrongs don't make a right and bringing Blair's appalling Labour Party record into this is a smokescreen. It's Cameroon's show now and my original post stands as factually uncontestable.

The problems in Libya have been brewing for several weeks, so what has happened in the last few days should be no surprise, yet our government has shown itself to be utterly useless in its response.

The UK government decided to hire a plane that was broken, then their utter failure was compounded by the fact that a UK oil company beat the UK government in getting a flight out to Libya.

Meanwhile, whilst all this is happening we have a Prime Minister peddling arms dealers around the Middle East, and a Deputy Prime Minister (where are you Mr Clegg) who was on holiday ! Couldn't they see this coming? Everybody else could!

There are British nationals holed up in remote desert bases, many of which have airstrips, saying that they have contacted the UK government. Their families have contacted the UK government and nothing is being done.

Of course, perhaps we could have sent an aircraft carrier, if we had one with aircraft on it. Ooops, another government mistake!

Useless, utterly useless (and shameful).

Of course the response by the Foreign Office was shameful, there is absolutely no disputing that and I don't think anybody has disputed it.

The intelligence services weren't good enough either but here's the thing. The security and armed forces have suffered from poor investment for years under successive governments, this scandal is the result of a greater national scandal not a party political one. Again, the aircraft carrier quip could equally have been attributed to the previous government and the government that preceded that one.

The whole thing is a shambles and the only way to avoid such an occurrence in the future is to abandon the blame game that is party politics, and for both sides of the house to accept that they have all contributed to this situation in one way or another. You say rightly that it's Cameroon's show now and of course he and his government must bear most of the blame for this, but equally the opposition must accept that their mismanagement of the Foreign Office and the armed forces have also contributed to it.

[Jon the Hat]

Not looking so shabby after the special forces desert extraction. Any other Governments doing that? We might have cuts but we still have kick ass special forces.