Tareena Shakil - convicted of membership of Islamic State

[campanula]

Some might say that that is an encapsulation of the difference between the officer class and actual soldiers.

I had no idea whether either of the 2 men were officers or not...but I do know that I instinctively like Coley having joined the boards at much the same time as myself and having been through something of a baptism of fire for the sins of landlording. I see a willingness to learn and forgive and even a humble acceptance of limits of experience which is, for me, a sign of a compassionate and engaged person rather than someone fixed in their opinions...and while I can see why any ex-soldier might have been scarred by the experience of serving in a war zone, it seems as though KK is projecting all the mistakes and misjudged actions of our imperial masters onto the shoulders of this young, but by no means innocent, woman.
Really - a corner of Belmarsh, forever? really?

 

[LDC]

It is illegal to join a foreign military. But if you complete a tour you get given French citizenship, therefore you can no longer get done by the UK.

No it's not illegal for a UK citizen (which is whom I'm assuming you mean) to join a foreign military. (Unless the law has changed very recently, and if so could you point me to it.) Plenty of UK citizens serve in the NZ and Australian army for example.

Closest is the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870 which ostensibly makes it illegal for British citizens to join the armed forces of a country fighting a state at peace with Britain. But it's never really been used.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

No it's not illegal for a UK citizen (which is whom I'm assuming you mean) to join a foreign military. (Unless the law has changed very recently, and if so could you point me to it.)

Foreign Enlistment Act would cover it. Obviously you can sign up to Canada or any of the other "Royal" forces too, as at the time of the act they weren't proper forrin'.

 

[LDC]

No it doesn't cover it. Needs to be joining to a State to fight another State at peace with Britain. So the Legion is not covered. And I think it's never been used anyway, didn't work to get the Spanish revolutionaries in the '30s.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

No it's not illegal for a UK citizen (which is whom I'm assuming you mean) to join a foreign military. (Unless the law has changed very recently, and if so could you point me to it.) Plenty of UK citizens serve in the NZ and Australian army for example.

Closest is the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870 which ostensibly makes it illegal for British citizens to join the armed forces of a country fighting a state at peace with Britain. But it's never really been used.

International Brigadists were threatend with it in the 1930s. It was never used to prosecute anyone but it was used as a threat to attempt to dissuade people from going.

The terrorism act of 2006 makes it an offence to fight abroad for 'political, ideological, religious or racial motives' - a nice big stick to beat people selectively with.

 

[Spymaster]

Have any of the males who've dragged their entire families to the conflict zone, received this degree of opprobrium? I'm not convinced that they have.

Only because none of them have publicly returned. Had they done so you can bet your life they would have done. And then some.

 

[Bakunin]

No it's not illegal for a UK citizen (which is whom I'm assuming you mean) to join a foreign military. (Unless the law has changed very recently, and if so could you point me to it.) Plenty of UK citizens serve in the NZ and Australian army for example.

Closest is the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870 which ostensibly makes it illegal for British citizens to join the armed forces of a country fighting a state at peace with Britain. But it's never really been used.

It's been used once (the defendant was acquitted) in the 1890's if I remember rightly. The question would be whether, during their service in the Legion, a British member actually did fight a state at peace with Britain, in which case the law would have been broken. A crime certainly would have been committed if British members of the Legion were to fight against the British forces at any point, highly unlikely though that is. That said, Legionnaires are expected to fight any opponent regardless of nationality.

 

[coley]

No, I doubt that very much indeed - more like running away to somewhere she thought she might have some relevance, being a warriors wife etc.etc. I doubt she thought very clearly about killing - do you think all those 18 year olds signing up for military service actually look much further than the promised 'career' as an engineer. Do you think they truly see themselves killing people?
And hey, interesting to me - we have 2 rather opposing views here, both from ex-soldiers - Coley - who has a degree of understanding and compassion and Kebabking who is just a nasty vengeful fuckwit.

Whey up, I've been awarded a "degree"
At last