RAF pilots consider the Kamikaze option

[rec_report]

RAF pilots consider the Kamikaze option (Quick! Hurry and get Bush his pilot's license!) 03 Apr 2007 RAF fighter pilots were asked to consider flying suicide missions as a last resort to stop terrorists, the Ministry of Defence said. Air Vice-Marshal David Walker put forward the last-ditch scenario at a conference for air crews. According to The Sun newspaper, he said: "Would you think it unreasonable if I ordered you to fly your aircraft into the ground in order to destroy a vehicle carrying a Taliban or al-Qa'eda commander?"

More news here.

[Kutjara]

1. Guess the War o' Terror ain't going so well...

...if we're looking for suicide bombers of our own. I hope the pilots' answer is "Fuck off nutjob! The day I kill myself and leave my kids orphans to salvage your political career will be the day Captain Porky gets his hanggliding permit."

[soothsayer]

2. jeezus, aren't planes kinda' pricey?

[Jackpine Radical]

3. So it's a twofer--they can strike a blow against terror & one for the

aircraft industry at the same time.

[driver8]

4. Not only that -- no veterans' benefits to worry about!

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

[rec_report]

8. Yup -- a scenario that Bush/Cheney would embrace. n/t

[rec_report]

10. Yes, but if Bush or Cheney is the pilot, oh well! n/t

[piedmont]

5. Absolutely f'ing stupid and certainly unreasonable.

The Brits are considering suicide assasinations. What's next? Suicide vests?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. "Well, dear chap, would you think it unreasonable if I told you to stuff it?"

When I was in infantry training in the marines, they took us to a course to show us what machine guns could do. Verrry impressive. They loaded the 2 MGs with tracers and fired them over an open field.

Then they took us to the next course which was "How to attack a machine-gun nest". It was a bunker, supposedly containing machine guns. The idea was to split the platoon in half. Half would sneak around the flank while the other half would bravely put their M1s on their hips and march directly at the bunkers while shooting from the hip, to distract the machine gunners. Then the other guys would sneak up and throw grenades in.

It was a great success! I was in the "distraction" contingent and we marched boldly forward raising all kinds of dust by shooting the ground in front of us. (It ain't like in the movies). When we ceased fire, sure enough, the other guys ran up and chucked grenades (disarmed) into the bunkers.

The only problem was that there weren't really machine guns. If there had been, we'd have all been dead.

My thoughts on finishing the exercise were as follows: "If any idiot, of any rank, tells me to stand up and march into a machine gun nest there's going to be one helluva fight..and I have a gun."

[htuttle]

7. "...And that's how the High Command took my daddy from me."

[driver8]

9. "I Was A Kamikaze Pilot" -- the Hoodoo Gurus (lyrics)

I Was A Kamikaze Pilot
Dave Faulkner

I was a, was a kamikaze pilot
They gave me a plane - I couldn't fly it home.
Taught how to take off, I don't know how to land.
They say it doesn't matter and I just cannot understand.
I was a kamikaze pilot,
They gave me a plane - I couldn't fly it home.

Left my happy homeland in a Zero,
I got engine trouble so I couldn't be a hero
(Do you think I care?).
Now I'll keep my two feet on the ground
'Cos when you're in the clouds
Everybody tries to shoot you down
I was a kamikaze pilot,
They gave me a plane - I couldn't fly it home

On an island there ain't too much to do
Look after number one 'cos I think I can see
Lee Marvin chasin' after you.
I was a kamikaze pilot
They gave me a plane - I couldn't fly it home.

Cherry blossoms falling down.