Month: September 2007

HUMAN rights group Amnesty International is calling on Australians and others to write to Indonesian authorities urging them to halt plans to execute three Bali bombers.

Sure!. Just a little bit after they ask Australians to write to Indonesian authorities seeking the retrial of Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir in the interests of the human rights of the Bali dead. In fact if Amnesty agitated for his retrial I might consider writing such a letter asking them to postpone the execution of the three bombers until Bashir is convicted and ready for the bullet as well.

Silence them in one hit…a message to other followers of the insanity.

Two men armed with a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher and machine-gun have fired on members of the Overwatch Battle Group – West (OBG(W)) during a patrol in Dhi Qar Province.

No Australian soldiers were wounded in the weekend attack.

Anti-Iraqi Forces gunmen fired an RPG round which hit the bar-armour of an Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV). The grenade did not detonate and rounds from the machine gun failed to damage the Australian vehicles.

Australian soldiers returned fire with their rifles and the ASLAV responded with its 25mm main armament. The attackers fled the scene.

OBG(W) Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jake Elwood said his soldiers reacted well during the brief engagement.

Enhancements to the ASLAV – notably the bar armour, spall liners and curtains, and the Remote Weapon Station (RWS) has increased the firepower and crew survivability of the Australian Army vehicle. These additional safety provisions were part of a rapid acquisition program that the Army undertook in 2004-05.

The spall liner provides additional safety against projectiles and spall that may penetrate the baseline armour. The horizontal hardened-metal of the bar-armour is also designed to trap an RPG round and detonate its warhead at a stand-off distance allowing the explosive energy to dissipate or deflecting the shaped charge from detonating directly against the vehicle’s armour plate.

“In addition to the ASLAV’s bar armour, what saved lives today is the excellent training that Australian soldiers receive. When they came under fire they immediately took cover, returned fire, and pursued the insurgents forcing them to flee,” LTCOL Elwood said.

The attack occurred approximately 50 km north of Camp Terendak during a routine patrol in Dhi Qar Province. The OBG(W) patrol was visiting a town to meet with local leaders and discuss potential future community support projects.

“This incident is another reminder that Iraq remains a dangerous place and that our troops are facing very real threats every day. The OBG(W) will continue their important task supporting the Iraqi Security Forces and working to help the Iraqi people in Dhi Qar and Al Muthanna Provinces improve their lives,” he said.

From Defence Media

From Craig Wallace at Streams

During a patrol in southern Afghanistan last week, an SOTG vehicle was hit by an IED, wounding two soldiers. The wounds were assessed as slight.
A spokesman for Defence, Brigadier Andrew Nikolic said the wounded soldiers were provided with first-aid by their fellow soldiers and evacuated to a nearby ISAF hospital for further treatment.

“One of the two soldiers received specialist medical care but due to nature of his injuries is to return to Australia for further treatment,” Brigadier Nikolic said.

The remaining soldier is expected to make a complete recovery and will remain on duty in Afghanistan.

During a later route clearance task an EDD and his handler encountered a second IED.

The bomb detonated on discovery, resulting in the slight wounding of the handler and the death of the dog, who was named Razz. The handler continued with his duties.

Defence Spokesperson Brigadier Andrew Nikolic said Razz was a veteran of the 2002 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. He joined Defence after beginning his career with Customs.

Brigadier Nikolic said the actions of Razz and his fellow EDDs had saved lives.

The pic is of Razz during training in Australia

From Defence Media