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England, United Kingdom
Joined February 2021
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Latest podcast available on video in YouTube. Also on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get you episodes.
youtu.be/bAvtrbd3foU?is=19iCâŠ
Unfortunately a technical issue with the podcast I recorded with Mark Nicol re his new book "Blades" means we need to re-record the episode. New release details to follow.
âIt looks to me rather like the leaders of special forces at the time chose to pursue this investigation to send a message to those that were doubting⊠their strength of leadership.â
Former SAS commander Richard Williams
share.google/2RzDTwYRdzUOhIKâŠ
Podcast with Mark Nicol out Thursday. Mark discusses his book "Blades" that challenges the prevailing narrative on alleged illegal killings by the SAS in Afghanistan.
From the Sunday Times
"There is, of course, no question that British troops must remain accountable for their actions. But accountability is one thing; a process that leaves highly trained soldiers feeling they have been treated like common criminals is another."
The Unconventional Soldier Podcast retweeted
I have listened to this urban operations / urban warfare video podcast produced by @TheUCS473 with guest speaker @Stu_Lyle twice now & thoroughly enjoyed it. A lengthy 2-hour conversation but a number of great discussion points on sub-topics relating to urban operations/warfare.
Latest podcast available on video in YouTube. Also on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get you episodes.
youtu.be/bAvtrbd3foU?is=19iCâŠ
Second Boer war memorial in a small Northumberland town. Generally forgotten conflict that cost ÂŁ25 billion today. 120k UK & imperial casualties. Inc 22000 dead. 2/3 due to disease & poor med provisions.
"Powers to prosecute Troubles cases are being transferred from Belfast to London under new government measures to better protect British troops from historic legal battles." - The Times.
URBAN OPERATIONS POD
"Bypass & avoidâ is a retort by those wishing to disengage from the subject of urban war, but ignores why militaries have had to conduct these ops.
On Thursday's pod we
explore the core reasons why they occur & why avoidance might not be an option.
Owen Jones v Triggernometry. Not something I would normally engage with but...I did 24 hours R to I back in the day... I can do this.... can't be worse than white noise & stress positions....surely....
Looking forward to discussing Mark's book with him on a podcast next week.
In 2017 I interviewed a soldier who took part in the SAS night raids in Afghanistan. In 2024 I gave evidence to the public inquiry into allegations of Extra Judicial Killings. While I believe those EJKs took place it is essential to understand the strategic context. My book Blades asks the fundamental question âwhat would you have done?â Because at the time UK govt support for Counter Terrorism operations was non-existent. The human rights of the Taliban were prioritised over the lives of British soldiers. SAS soldiers faced an impossible dilemma. The bombmakers and facilitators operated outside UK ROE and were recycled back onto the battlefield within 96hrs of capture. Yet the IED networks represented the enemyâs most potent threat. Many hundreds of British soldiers and Afghan civilians were being blown up. I am proud that my newspaper the Mail has had the courage to set out these arguments. This is bold journalism. The SAS are not a rogue unit and its soldiers acted rationally and professionally in impossible circumstances. I will debate those points with anyone, anywhere. mol.im/a/16197881
1/2 Leslie Standish - The Times. RiP
"During the advance on Goose Green he led his section in a series of ferocious night actions. The enemy had to be cleared trench by trench. Shortly after dawn, enemy fire caught his men in the open; he calmly withdrew them to dead ground."
The Unconventional Soldier Podcast retweeted
#BattleforAachen - the antidote to the Wikipedia page and the myths of âBloody Aachenâ. @HurstPublishers
1/4 𧔠Is it possible to fight an ethical war?
In an episode of The Unconventional Soldier podcast out next month, Iâm joined by Dorian Minors, a brain and behaviour scientist, RMAS lecturer and former infantry platoon commander.
3/4 A central part of the discussion is on identity & leadership. Good leadership isn't simply about obedience or aggression. At its best, it provides the moral framework (the safety catch) that keeps soldiers grounded when the pressures of combat begin to distort the acceptable.