Everyone Wanted to See That Taliban Guy Dead: Colleagues of Marine A Said They'd Have killed Him too > Because Saving Him Would Have Risked British Lives
- Sgt. Alexander Blackman's comrades spoke after court cleared him of murder
- The former Marines said he 'took responsibility' for killing the insurgent
- One even claimed HQ implied to Sgt Blackman on his radio that he should kill
- The commando, referred to as Marine A at his court martial, had his murder conviction downgraded to manslaughter because he had combat stress
Daily Mail UK, 17 March 2017
Comrades of Sergeant Alexander Blackman (pictured) said yesterday he shot a wounded Taliban fighter to protect junior colleagues
Comrades of Sergeant Alexander Blackman spoke out after the Appeal Court cleared him of murder and downgraded his conviction to manslaughter.
The former Marines said he 'took responsibility' for killing the insurgent whom 'everybody wanted dead' because saving him would have risked British lives.
One even claimed HQ implied to Sgt Blackman on his radio that he should kill the man, and a former commander admitted it was not the only time such action had been carried out in the war.
The commando, referred to as Marine A at his court martial, had his murder conviction downgraded to manslaughter because he had combat stress and could walk free within days.
The Appeal Court said yesterday a sentencing hearing would be heard next Friday.
This could lead to his immediate release because he has already served three and a half years.
Five judges ruled that he was not in his right mind when he shot the insurgent on September 15, 2011.
The court heard how he felt an immense responsibility to keep the 15 men under his command safe, even taking on exhausting extra patrols himself to do so.
The former Marines said he 'took responsibility' for killing the insurgent whom 'everybody wanted dead' because saving him would have risked British lives. He had his murder conviction downgraded to manslaughter this week. Pictured: Sgt Blackman's wife Claire
Sergeant Rob Driscoll (top), who was leading a patrol nearby, overheard the radio conversation between Sgt Blackman and HQ about what to do with the injured Taliban. Sam Deen, one of the Marines on the fateful patrol, said they had all wanted to shoot him
Following the verdict on Wednesday, Sgt Blackman's former colleagues told BBC Panorama they were glad he shot the fanatic.
Many feared the insurgent had been deliberately sacrificed by the Taliban as 'human bait' to lure the Britons into a trap.
Sam Deen, one of the Marines on the fateful patrol, said they had all wanted to shoot him.
He suggested Sgt Blackman decided to do it himself to protect junior comrades, adding: 'I said I'd put one in his head. [A] few of the other lads said that as well.
'I think [Blackman] took the responsibility for the younger lads. He didn't do it in cold blood – he did it so we could draw a line in the sand.'
Sergeant Rob Driscoll, who was leading a patrol nearby, overheard the radio conversation between Sgt Blackman and HQ about what to do with the injured Taliban.
Louis Nethercott, a machine gunner with Sgt Blackman, said: 'It was bloody tough. There is a point at which he has had too much or seen too much or is too tired or too stressed'
Sam Deen (pictured) suggested Sgt Blackman decided to shoot the Taliban insurgent himself to protect junior comrades, adding: 'I said I'd put one in his head. [A] few of the other lads said that as well.'
He said no one wanted to risk sending a multi-million-pound air ambulance and crew, or vehicles along a road littered with bombs, to rescue the man.
He claimed he heard 'implied tasking' – an unspoken suggestion that the insurgent 'needed to pass away somehow'.
Sgt Driscoll added: 'Everyone wanted that guy to be dead.'
Speaking later to Radio 4's Today, he said: 'There was implied tasking. Everyone on that radio was sending out a signal to Al, 'Make it so it doesn't happen'.'
The commando, referred to as Marine A at his court martial, was not in his right mind when he shot the insurgent on September 15, 2011
Sgt Driscoll told Panorama: 'I'm glad Al did what he did, because all my guys went home. Maybe if he hadn't done that, I'd have been going to a few more funerals.'
Louis Nethercott, a machine gunner with Sgt Blackman, said: 'It was bloody tough. There is a point at which he has had too much or seen too much or is too tired or too stressed. None of us got hurt, so it was a successful day.'
Major Steve McCulley, commander of Sgt Blackman's J-Company, was asked by filmmaker Chris Terrill, who was with the unit: 'Would you think what happened was the only time that happened in the Afghan War?'
Major McCulley replied: 'No.'
- Sgt Blackman's first legal team faces being sued for damages for not carrying out a psychiatric assessment that would have shown his mental disorder, preventing a murder conviction. Anthony Berry QC and junior barrister Peter Glenser were accused of incompetence. They did not comment last night..
Quote:
HOW MAIL READERS' £800K FUNDED LEGAL FIGHT
Donations towards Sgt Blackman’s legal case flooded in after the Mail highlighted his plight in a front page story in September 2015 headlined ‘A Shameful Injustice’.
The biggest single amount came from businessman and political pollster Lord Ashcroft, who put £50,000 into the fighting fund to pay for a new team of lawyers led by Jonathan Goldberg QC.
The sum from the former Tory deputy chairman and treasurer pushed the overall total above £800,000. The tycoon, philanthropist and military historian is an authority on gallantry, and has assembled the world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses.
Days after the Mail took up Sgt Blackman’s case, money started flooding in from readers all over the world. West End lyricist Sir Tim Rice joined the campaign, along with Major General John Holmes, a former director of Special Forces.
Every day, hundreds of envelopes arrived at the Mail’s offices. One contained simply a cheque for £5,000, but mostly there were cheques for £10 and £20 – with some pensioners apologising for not being able to give more.
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NB:
Sgt Blackman was convicted under the Geneva Convention rules. which were made many years ago and are so OUT OF DATE these days.
WAR is different, especially dealing with these MAD fanatical terrorists...
Sgt Blackman conviction should be over-turned and his record in the Marines must be cleared to remove this crazy charge.
He and many like him are incredibly BRAVE HEROS.
It is so wrong he can never return to the Marines and will always have a CRIMINAL RECORD!!.... 
The video on this with the whole story, can be downloaded here:
Panorama 2017 03 07 Marine A-The Inside Story 720p HDTV x264-DEADPOOL
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