Those Marines

I sent an Email to Andrew Stuttaford in response to his postings in the Corner at National Review Online defending the behavior of the British Marines held hostage by the Iranians.

In particular, he wrote:

"Derb, via the Yorkshire Post, here's SAS veteran Andy McNab on the behavior of those captured marines:

[He said he believed they were] "just doing their best to get by...They are intelligent people, they understand the situation, they understand they are caught in the middle on a political situation."

McNab himself was captured and tortured by the Iraqis. I suspect that he knows what the correct procedures are."

My email to Andrew was as follows (I also sent him the picture from the post immediately below this one):

Take a look at the men on the right side of this picture.

Were they violating the “rules” by looking (appropriately) dour
but not broken? Do the rules require the servicepersons to make it look like they are having a good time and to thank their captors?

If the men on the right could look dour but unbroken – couldn’t the others? Do any of the smiley ones have the sort of ashen/drawn look of persons who have been tortured (aside from their normal English pallor)?

Which group displays more honor, resolution, seriousness? Which group would you fear more to meet in combat?

Don’t go great lengths to defend the giddy ones Andrew – they are not worth it. You would be better off and retain more credibility if you pointed out that not all of the Brits acted dishonorably.