Biting the hand that feeds you/shot you.

[Pete.]

I'm interested in the forum's thoughts on this.
Allegedly (I have to say that because it is before the courts in Australia) a Volkswagen van in Iraq was called upon to stop by Australian Soldiers. It did not, or was slow to do so.
The Australian Diggers opened fire. The van stopped. When approached it was found the van did not contain terrorists but an Iraqi family who were badly injured.
The Government repatriated them to Australia and gave them a visa and the full resources of our medical system.
Now using funding provided by the Australian tax payer they are suing the Government for compensation. the story is here Iraqi family sues Australia over diggers.

Now I am unashamedly a right wing red, neck, ex Army Officer, so I am a little biased. But if I were in control, which some of you will think thank God he is not, I would put them on the first plane back to Iraq.

Your thoughts gentlemen?

[alan114]

With you all the way Pete

[David Morton]

Who pays the costs if their appeal is denied in the courts?

[Pete.]

The Australian taxpayer will allow them to go all the way to the high court. Then if they lose it's no cost to them. Aren't we nice?

Each unit of the Australian Defense Force will now have to take a lawyer along to decide whether we can engage a suspected threat or not.

[Jack]

Allegedly (I have to say that because it is before the courts in Australia) a Volkswagen van in Iraq was called upon to stop by Australian Soldiers. It did not, or was slow to do so.

Should have used an RPG, end of problems.

[Pat Buckley]

I agree with you, Pete.

I would however apologize profusely to them for the error in judgement that caused them to be shot up in the first place.

Then I would put them on the next plane out.

[Doug Sainlar]

A splendid example of the old saying "No kind deed goes unpunished"!!

If it were me, I'd extend my kindness only to the extent of giving them tickets home, too.

Doug

[Jakob V. Edvardsen]

I too agree with Pete... When armed forces ask you to stop, you stop!

/Jakob

[Maxiboy]

I reckon they should be given 2 options:-

If they win the case, they get the compensation and deportation back to Iraq.

If they lose, they can stay in Oz, but they have to pay the legal fees.

[Iron Sheik]

Pete, Lets say a Police officer stops me for speeding, it is 1:00AM in the morning. He apaches the window, sees my bald head, hears my bad accent and smells my Garlicy Muslim breath. He tells me to “freeze”, I wiggle because I am dumb, and he shoots me.

He realizes it was a mistake, calls an ambulance for me. They remove the bullet from my skull without any problem. I recover fully due to the massive amount of saw dust in my head.

Should I go and kiss the policeman for calling an ambulance for me?! I think the Police department should pay for my injuries (displaced saw dust in my head) and then my license should be revoked for not sitting still when he told me to do so.

Basically, I agree with Maxiboy.

[TonyM]

I agree with Pete, send them home..... I'm sure they will be much better off in thier own country..!!

[Pete.]

Originally Posted by Faili F

Pete, Lets say a Police officer stops me for speeding, it is 1:00AM in the morning. He apaches the window, sees my bald head, hears my bad accent and smells my Garlicy Muslim breath. He tells me to “freeze”, I wiggle because I am dumb, and he shoots me.

He realizes it was a mistake, calls an ambulance for me. They remove the bullet from my skull without any problem. I recover fully due to the massive amount of saw dust in my head.

Should I go and kiss the policeman for calling an ambulance for me?! I think the Police department should pay for my injuries (displaced saw dust in my head) and then my license should be revoked for not sitting still when he told me to do so.

Basically, I agree with Maxiboy.

Faili, my esteemed friend, I suggest humbly that there is a huge difference between your scenario and a war zone, where Volkswagen Vans have been known to be filled with explosives and suicide bombers looking to join Allah.

[Pete.]

Originally Posted by Pete

The Australian taxpayer will allow them to go all the way to the high court. Then if they lose it's no cost to them. Aren't we nice?

Each unit of the Australian Defense Force will now have to take a lawyer along to decide whether we can engage a suspected threat or not.

I have to correct this answer to David, as medical refugees they would qualify for legal aid paid by the taxpayer. But apparently they have hired their lawyer on a "no win no pay" basis. The taxpayer will be paying the cost of the Army defending it.

[Freewheel]

I'm with Jack on this one.

If you're going to play, play hard.

[Gordo]

Unfortunate situation - but I'm with Pete on this one. I like the 'Jack' option really! Shout if you need air fair contributions. I have family in Bowral and Perth!

Gordo.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Pete

The Australian taxpayer will allow them to go all the way to the high court. Then if they lose it's no cost to them. Aren't we nice?

Each unit of the Australian Defense Force will now have to take a lawyer along to decide whether we can engage a suspected threat or not.

Pete,

We are almost there.Here in Afghanistan after any contact with Taliban forces by Australian troops,the diggers are debriefed by an Army Reserve lawyer who determines if it was a legal kill or if individuals should be charged with war crimes.

Just what a combat soldier needs in the back of his mind.

[Iron Sheik]

"Faili, my esteemed friend, I suggest humbly that there is a huge difference between your scenario and a war zone, where Volkswagen Vans have been known to be filled with explosives and suicide bombers looking to join Allah."

Perhaps you are right, if my scenario was taking place in Australia.

But here in US, the criminal elements have just about everything that you can imagine, including body armor. Being an officer in inner city USA is a very Dangerous job (and you can't call in Air strike or Artillery fire to support you).

[Cliff Beer]

I suspect the unfortunate outcome will be a sizable compensatory judgment in their favor, paid for by the Australian taxpayer. Undoubtedly, they will have a convincing attorney who will paint a sympathetic picture of disadvantage, suffering, mistreatment by both Iraqi and Australian authorities, etc. which will sway a jury or judge into believing that the world owes them something (in this case $$) and Australia can afford to pay for it.

The world is a crazy place and when something unfortunate happens it's not always somebody else's fault.

[Bill Hara]

Hang on, what are the facts here?

A family is driving along in their car, in their country, when some foreign Occupying Forces shout at them in a foreign (to them) langauge to stop. They choose not to do so.
They are fired upon and injured.
They are removed from their country and treated - surely there is adequate medical facilities closer than Australia? And did they ask to be re-patriated?
They are undertandable p**sed for being shot up in their own country by foreigners and seek compensation - they don't feel any gratitude to the people that shot them, they want compensation.

Now substitute ANY other country in place of Iraq, imagine if that happened to you in the UK or USA or Australia by an occupying force, where you were shot. Would you not try to get the most you could out of the perpetrators of your misery?? Would you like or want to be repatriated to the invaders country for treatment? However unlikely, wouldn't you use all/every resources that country gave you to make your life better?

I may not agree with their demands, but I also don't agree with being invaded, being shot and badly injured by foreign soldiers in my own country, having my country's wealth siphoned away and left to rot in the dust.
As a new father, I can't imagine a worse hell hole for my child to have to grow up in, and NONE if it is in my control to change.

Lets not lose our humane perspective......

P.S I don't blame the Aussie soldiers, they are a tool that is being used to perform a function. It is the decision makers that put that tool there that I have a problem with. The Aussie taxpayers are having to pay for those soldiers being there, because it serves SOMEONE'S purpose for them to be there, but whose purpose? Not the Aussie taxpayers....