Propaganda and lies characterise dud UK airstrikes on Syria
RAF warplanes have carried out their second raid on a Daesh/IS target in Syria – the same oilfield that was said to have been destroyed on October 23, using Paveway bombs rather than the Brimstone missiles David Cameron said would be employed.
These are important distinctions. Firstly, if the RAF is hitting a target that was already destroyed just over a month ago, then the best that can be said about it is it is likely to be under reconstruction, involving civilian workers. David Cameron promised us blind that the UK would not attack civilians.
Claims that the attack was successful are less impressive when you know where and what the target was.
Secondly, the Paveway bombs are not as precise as Brimstone guided missiles. They come with selective fuse options to adjust blast radius and shrapnel, in order to cause minimal collateral damage, but we have no evidence that any such adjustments have been made in the two operations carried out so far.
The fact that the RAF has attacked a civilian target, rather than any terrorist military base, is also significant. David Cameron has, so far, avoided engagement with the people who are actually causing harm. He wants his war to last a long time.
And Defence Secretary Michael Fallon visited military personnel at RAF Akrotiri to feed them a lot of nonsense about support for their operations among the UK public. Considering the huge amount of protest against air strikes, he was wrong to say that they had the backing of “the people of Britain”. They don’t.
All in all, David Cameron’s war is turning into a dud.
RAF jets have carried out their second set of air strikes in Syria since MPs backed military action against so-called Islamic State in the country.
The Omar oil fields were targeted for the second time, using two Tornados and, for the first time, two Typhoons.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who is visiting the British base for the Syria mission in Cyprus, said: “Last night saw the full force of the RAF.”
During his visit to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Mr Fallon thanked military personnel.
He made no assurances about the length of the campaign, telling them only it was “not going to be short or simple”.
“You go now into this full-bodied mission with your orders and with your training. But I want you to know also you go with the backing of the government and the people of Britain.”
The Ministry of Defence said the Tornados and Typhoons used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit wellheads in the oil field on Friday night, “thus cutting off the terrorists’ oil revenue at the very source”.
Eight attacks were carried out, and early reports suggest that they were successful, an MoD statement added.
Source: Syria air strikes: RAF jets in second wave of strikes – BBC News
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Exactly right, Mike. Apparently these are very primitive wells producing very little and they will have been civilians hit. The real money producers are being shipped off to Turkey and producing millions. Next they will shift to bombing Assad and the rest of the civilian infrastructure left intact and lots of money for the ‘reconstruction’ that never happens. How you bring civilians back to life or remove the terror and trauma from children is possibly not on the agenda. That tweet said it nicely, bomb the kids in their beds and no refugee problem.
The Canary has an excellent piece on the cost to us of these strikes. One strike is the equivalent of 20 paramedics, or 19 nurses, teachers or firefighters.
Eight strikes carried out – do the maths!! Absolute madness.
http://www.thecanary.co/2015/12/04/one-airstrike-pay-19-nurses/
Please do not use, in connection with munitions, the word ‘precise’. It has an alien meaning in the military, not that they or the manufacturers are anxious for us to know this.
The attached carefully referenced link tells us all we need to know about precision.
A runway at Akrotiri was closed yesterday due to missiles ‘precisely’ falling off one of our Sopwith Camels.
http://dronewars.net/2015/12/04/are-we-being-misguided-about-precision-strike/
I have a question regarding the use of ” precision munitions “. My question is this: what is the ” blast radius ” of a “Paveway bomb ” and how many were used in this particular “raid “?
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who is visiting the British base for the Syria mission in Cyprus, said: “Last night saw the full force of the RAF.”
God help us if anybody tries to invade the UK if the full force of the RAF are two Tornado’s & two typhoons!!!
Better start forming the home guard I think.
Because its not ISIS they are after its Bashar Assad; in fact ISIS was created and funded by USA for this very reason. So the RAF get targets form USA command , who warn ISIS to clear out of the area before hand – Its a big sham. Assad regime is the target,it always has been. This huge deception may will lead to conflict with Russia and perhaps WW3.
It seems Syria has to be bought into the USA cartel corporate imperium and any cost.