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How to appear ungrateful
Nov. 21st, 2003 11:00 amSMH article:
"Australian air force officers stationed at US command centres during the Iraq war were denied access to critical US intelligence they needed for their duties and were forced to leave classified briefings because of a policy described by a senior US Air Force intelligence officer as silly.
Major-General Tommy Crawford told a conference of Australian, British and US military experts he strongly opposed the policy that blocked Australian officers from getting intelligence on Iraq even when some of it originated from Australian intelligence sources.
...
A security analyst at the conference, Loren Thompson, said that if the intelligence exchange was not fixed, the lives of Australian military personnel, especially special forces, could be put at risk. One of the serious concerns of US commanders during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was keeping track of where "friendly forces", especially special forces, were working to prevent them being bombed or fired on by their own side.
"If they, the Australians, don't have full access to the communications network and awareness of what's transpiring from moment to moment, they're in danger of being shot at," Dr Thompson told the Herald."
Well, thank you very much, guys. Remind me again why we're committing our best soldiers to aid a force that apparently holds them in contempt?
"Australian air force officers stationed at US command centres during the Iraq war were denied access to critical US intelligence they needed for their duties and were forced to leave classified briefings because of a policy described by a senior US Air Force intelligence officer as silly.
Major-General Tommy Crawford told a conference of Australian, British and US military experts he strongly opposed the policy that blocked Australian officers from getting intelligence on Iraq even when some of it originated from Australian intelligence sources.
...
A security analyst at the conference, Loren Thompson, said that if the intelligence exchange was not fixed, the lives of Australian military personnel, especially special forces, could be put at risk. One of the serious concerns of US commanders during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was keeping track of where "friendly forces", especially special forces, were working to prevent them being bombed or fired on by their own side.
"If they, the Australians, don't have full access to the communications network and awareness of what's transpiring from moment to moment, they're in danger of being shot at," Dr Thompson told the Herald."
Well, thank you very much, guys. Remind me again why we're committing our best soldiers to aid a force that apparently holds them in contempt?
