Australian Air Force Attacks

[Almighty Colin]

"Australian Hornet fighter jets have attacked key Republican Guard units as coalition forces redoubled their air strikes in and around the Iraqi capital.

Australian Defence Force chief Peter Cosgrove said the planes were now directly involved in the battle for Baghdad."

[Opti]

Speaking of Aus Airforce, I've been wanting to ask what American's thought of this.

There was a news report the other day that an Australian pilot had declined to drop a bomb on a target because he thought it wasn't a valid target.. Apparently it caused a dust up with the American officer controlling the mission.

I was sitting there watching this thinking the pilot was a dickhead adn would be in mucho trouble... next shot on screen is the Prime Minister... saying how proud he is of the pilot and supports him all the way!

Turns out AU airforce rules of engagement say that the pilot has to be convinced himself he is on a valid target before he hits the button.. I guess this also means he has to take some repsonsibility if he "accidently" bombs an obvious civilian target.

Apparently out of the 14 FA18's Australia has there, which sound like they have flown a few hundred sorties between them, 3 times pilots have declined to attack.. I haven't heard what the targets were or the exact reasons the pilots gave for not attacking.

I wonder how a pilot travelling at high speed in a war situation can really make a decision like that myself..

Not really sure if it is a good or a bad thing.. just seemed very unusual to me

[Mutt]

Be proud of him Opti, at least your country is helping out in a war that is worth fighting. Every day as I learn more about the Middle East and the stone age lunatics who run the asylum I am more convinced that this war had to be fought eventually, and better now than later like after an attack on a nuclear plant or some dirty nuke in New York City.

[Opti]

I'm happy with the guy personally... just thought the policy was strange.

I think the whole ramifiacations of terrorism against the west and how it has changed my personal world finally hit home today... nothing special happened, I just finally started to feel really mad about it!

I was driving through the city today with my daughters and I noticed the security guards they have patrolling all the bridges... the guards have been there for a few months now and I am used to them... but driving all around town today with the kids in the car with me over a few of the bridges a few times I suddenly started feeling really pissed off that "our world" down here has changed so fucking much in the past 18 months that we think it's ok that we need this shite!

[Almighty Colin]

:okthumb:

[Torone]

I think he should have dropped the bomb; but in any case...

AUSTRALIA ROCKS! :okthumb: