Top UK military commander says Israeli advice key to British strategy against suicide bombers in Afghanistan, warns of “dark forces” in the BBC
A rare voice of sanity in the British establishment, Colonel Richard Kemp, the former commander of UK forces in Afghanistan, has mounted another devastating defence of Israel. In a speech at the annual dinner (which I attended) of the UK’s Zionist Federation in London last night, Kemp even revealed that prior to his deployment in Afghanistan a four hour briefing by a top Israeli general had been instrumental in formulating British tactics and strategy on how to deal with Taliban suicide bombers.
To my knowledge, such an intimate strategic relationship on such a sensitive matter has never before been revealed. If it has, it has certainly not received widespread coverage in the UK press.
Kemp’s counter-orthodoxy views on Israel rose to global prominence in October last year when, against the background of the Goldstone Report, he appeared before the UN Human Rights Council to say of Operation Cast Lead: “..Israeli Defense Forces did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare. Israel did so while facing an enemy that deliberately positioned its military capability behind the human shield of the civilian population.”
In the course of his speech last night, Kemp reiterated the substance of those remarks, adding that “dark forces” inside the BBC and further afield were subjecting Israel to a wholly biased, discriminatory and distorted campaign of vilification.
Speaking from personal experience, he contrasted the media response to the immense difficulties faced by British and American troops in facing down terrorists with the response to Israeli troops facing the same problems:
“When we go into battle we do not get the same knee-jerk, almost Pavlovian response from many, many elements of the international media and international groups, humanitarian groups and other international groups such as the United Nations which should know better,” he told the 400 strong audience.
He described it as the kind of “utter automatic condemnation” which British and American forces do not encounter. Shamefully, the British government abstained in the latest UN vote on the Goldstone Report against a background of near-monolothic vilification of Israel in the British and international media, and in order to preserve good relations with Arab and Muslim dictatorships.
To its credit, the BBC carried a report of Kemp’s speech to the Zionist Federation on its website (see link below). It will be interesting to see whether his remarks are now dispersed more widely across the British media.
To read the BBC report, click here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8527563.stm
Tags: Israel
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:43 pm
It’s unfortunate he was vague. Call a spade a spade I always say. Point to what and who in the BBC is a danger. Otherwise the Beeb will lash out and proclaim a ‘dark Jewish conspiracy’ to silence them, or whatever PC sounding phrases they use.
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:34 pm
The BBC report was given a scant airing. Anyone browsing on the BBC News website or even the UK page will not find it. That’s only thirteen hours after its being published at 1am.
The BBC deserves no credit for hiding such an important speech. This only adds weight to Colonel Kemp’s statement.
The BBC is not a first-choice source of news for me. For years I have found BBC News to be biased and dishonest on numerous issues, both foreign and domestic.
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:40 pm
The BBC report appears to attempt to undermine Colonel Kemp by describing him as ‘a commander in Afghanistan’ when he was actually ‘Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan’. I’s a subtle but important distinction; the BBC description implies that he is one of any number of similarly ranked officials, and in doing so leads one to conclude that all the others hold a different opinion.
This is how the BBC discretely undermines Israel and its defenders. On the other hand the influence and importance of pro-Palestinian mouth-pieces are always axaggerated.
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:32 am
Hi, I think you are giving undue kudos to the BBC running a report on the event.
You reported Colonel Kemp’s comments on “dark forces” this way:-
“In the course of his speech last night, Kemp reiterated the substance of those remarks, adding that “dark forces” inside the BBC and further afield were subjecting Israel to a wholly biased, discriminatory and distorted campaign of vilification.”
The BBC reported them this way:-
“A former senior British army officer has said international media including the BBC are being exploited by “dark forces” who want to harm Israel.”
Very different meanings. Did the BBC misreport?
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:54 am
Here’s another senior Military man breaking with the concensus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgZppLvjvaE&feature=player_embedded#
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:27 am
Colonel Allen West on the video clip tells states the problem facing us very clearly. It is a problem about which our political leaders and their satraps in the media are in denial.
The suffering to come is unimagineable.
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Ah yes Col Richard Kemp, that great Israeli stooge of the first order, preaching to the converted. Seems like to me he might be losing it talking of ‘dark forces’. Too much time watching Star Wars me thinks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kemp
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:27 pm
“mostly harmless” - Thank you for showing the face (not the real identity, alas) of a bigot! Next time try to muster the courage to find a reasonable pseudo-name, if you are such a big coward to miss your real name at least, little dwarf.
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:52 pm
@Gábor Fränkl
Thanks for the advice, but I’ll stick to the name I have chosen. Can I add you are amazingly receptive, you worked out that I am a bigot, a coward and a little dwarf just from 1 post - who’s a clever boy.
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
The phrase “dark forces” was slightly ill-chosen shorthand for the pervasive ideology of the BBC, the Independent, the Guardian etc. which combines deference to Islam with hostility to the States and Israel. Bowen and Fisk are the top practitioners, but they have a whole army of mediocre journalists and reporters following in their wake.
Colonel Allen West says it as he sees it, but he should differentiate between Islam the religion and ‘Islamism’ as a political ideology. There is a significant overlap for sure, but there will be plenty of Western Muslims who don’t subscribe to the imposition of Shari’a law and many of the extreme ‘Islamist’ positions. With careless terminology he’s liable to alienate them, which would be a pity.
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:58 pm
logdon at 7.54a.m. That is a great clip, and Pamela Geller’s wolf whistles for the colonel is among the best things on it.
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:44 pm
The BBC’s catalogue of sins CONTINUES! Just read this piece from the JPost. It’s nauseating! Make sure that you browse the comments too! http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=169316
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:12 pm
“mostly harmless” might consider “useful idiot” as a more appropriate screen ID.
February 24th, 2010 at 12:13 am
mostly harmless, how about addressing the substance of what Col Kemp says? Easier to make silly sarcastic comments I suppose.
February 24th, 2010 at 12:18 am
Logdon, thanks for posting that. I lapped up what this guy has posted on youtube the other week. Didn’t come across this though. Truly confirms him as the free world’s great hope. I thought his rejection of the term ‘war on terror’ had its flaws, but everything else, a fantastic tonic.
February 26th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Adam B, ‘Easier to make silly sarcastic comments I suppose’
what you mean like comments from Lynne T & Gabor? Or does it apply only to people who don’t agree with you?
March 11th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Useful advice. Been looking for info in this for a while
. Nice post