Should the sailors sell their stories?

Mr Sceptic

By allowing the stories to be sold now, while the sailors are still in the forces, the MOD has some measure of control over what information gets out.

If they say no, and these stories are sold when the sailors leave the forces, the MOD loses that control.

It is therefore a very sensible decision by the MOD. Whether it is a morally right decision by these sailors to 'cash in' is another matter.

Curtis B

Sure, but I'm not buying it. If I want to read a story about POWs, I'll read McCain's book. At least he acted honorably.

scrapnscream

No. They should keep their lying mouths shut!

Stories...........thats exactly what the account of their time in custody will be.

I won't believe a word of it.

Why do you think the M.O.D is allowing them to profit from this farce?

They want us to believe that the captured service men / woman went through a terrible time so that we will forget how embarrassing this whole episode has been to this country.

The M.O.D allowed these service men to be captured in the first place.

Any profit made from the press should be given to the families of service men / women who have come back from Iraq in boxes - not VIP first class.

These service men are being coached by the M.O.D and told what to say.

What future does the UK have when our armed forces are controlled by these incompetent idiots in the M.O.D. I fear for our brave service personnel when they are led by these faceless suits who appear to know nothing about military tactics.

Who has resigned as a result of the kidnappings? Why has no one been held to account? God this makes me angry!

Dr Rodge

Definitely not. I can't see how they can allow serving members of the armed forces to become wealthy and stay in the service. It was always the rule that any non-commissioned rank that won the football pools, for instance, was shown the door or, offered a commission if worthy.

Back in the sixties, before the "media" had the technology to snoop into everything, numerous missions were undertaken by the British forces that went completely unreported. You never hear anything about the British forces' involvement in the Belgium Congo and the Vietnam War, yet they were involved.

The "media" do more damage to our security than foreign spies, and when they push their noses in too far and get captured, far more fuss is made about it than when a member of our forces goes missing.

zeine333

No I don't think they should sell their stories individually for any price. Better to have one big open press conference with all 15, and get it out of the way....

lordkelvin

Dunrobin

No. If the policy against selling their stories is wrong at all - hence the policy - it is wrong in this case. The families of those killed can't make hundreds of thousands from the press. It's tacky, especially given that they've not even been properly debriefed and now the MOD starts the auction!

Northern Lad

Even though I don`t agree, it happens, money talks.
The SAS sold their story after the first Iraqi war, so why not.

rann_georgia

Yes, for all they can get and then some. They served their country, they were forced into captivity and subjected to inhuman practices that they can doubtfully sue for, let alone get damages from.

I'm sure they will remember these events for the rest of their lives and not always in a fond way.

I have no problem at all with them making a little on the side from the suffering they endured, and it'll make the Iranian government look bad.

c1523456

Yes, they should sell their stories.

Brianna's Mommy

It makes them look bad.

It kinda reminds me of people who have something horrible happen to them and then turn around and sue the person who did them wrong as if money can "make it all better".

I think it makes them look greedy.

yeoman15

I think not ,certainly while they are still serving in the forces,has the slight whiff of "celebrity" about it

godsavethequeen

surely its obvious,they sell story the whole world reports on it then the whole world reads about it.
propaganda made easy!

frankturk50

Yes but its about time people kept posting this same question on here its boring

Dr Watson (UK)

Loads of people have suffered in other ways uh, death for example!! These 15 got caught, not particularly honourable or noble, just unfortunate and perhaps embarrassing for the British Navy - no they shouldn't sell their stories, they should, to coin a phrase, just get on with their jobs.

ArskElvis

why not, it saves the MoD from paying them compensation, good luck to the poor sods

Crimsonite

yes, because most people when they've gone through such trauma -not knowing whether you'll see your loved ones again or thinking your'll never get to do the things you always took for granted. It can bubble up memories that you wanted to forget or even make you anger for how personal or how inconsiderate the questions maybe. You also have to think of it through the view that you'd be complainin if the soldiers did get paid for telling their story but normal citizens didn't. So why is it fair for newspapers to pay citizens but not soldiers?

Ravenous

no, that is just plain sad it ain't like they are heroes for getting captured and doing exactly what the enemy wanted.

funbenjy

I don't know whether they should. They said the right things to stay alive, but what if the same thing happened to some more sailors. Would they be treated worse, because of the things that were said in the papers by these servicemen.

Tyanna-Daisy

Yes why not they suffered, why give their story for free

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