BREAKING NEWS: Sgt Danny Nightingale sentence suspended

Sgt Danny Nightingale WILL be home for Christmas.  I last wrote about Sgt Nightingale here: http://assolutatranquillita.blogspot.ca/2012/11/sgt-danny-nightingale-sas-hero-sent-to.html


Today comes an example of common sense - finally!

From the BBC:

SAS man Danny Nightingale has gun sentence suspended

 

The pistol was given to Nightingale as a present, his supporters say

 

An SAS soldier detained for 18 months for illegally possessing a pistol and ammunition has won his freedom at the Court of Appeal.

Sgt Danny Nightingale, 37, from Crewe, admitted possessing the 9mm Glock pistol and 338 rounds of ammunition at a court martial earlier this month.

Judges at the Court of Appeal reduced Nightingale's sentence to 12 months.

However, they suspended the sentence and said he could be released immediately.

The weapons and ammunition were recovered by police from Nightingale's Army accommodation near Hereford. 

Nightingale's wife Sally, 38, cried when the verdict was delivered and when asked if she was "thrilled" she nodded....

Much more here.  

WELCOME HOME, Sgt, and Merry Christmas to the Nightingale family......

UPDATED (2) : Sgt Danny Nightingale: SAS Hero sent to jail as criminal

UPDATE 2:  SAS man Danny Nightingale challenges gun conviction



Stay tuned...

Those of us who watch and support our Military (on both sides of the Atlantic) are very familiar with the governments of our country throwing our Troops into jail under absurd circumstances.  We have seen, all too often, our Troops charged and convicted after they have laid their lives on the line for us, despite serving under Rules of Engagement which empower our enemies. .

Sgt Danny Nightingale of Britain is the latest, and what is happening to him is a travesty.   

From The Telegraph:

SAS war hero jailed after 'betrayal'

An SAS soldier has been jailed for possessing a “war trophy” pistol presented to him by the Iraqi Army for outstanding service.

Sgt Danny Nightingale with his wife Sally on their wedding day and, right, on duty Photo: WARREN SMITH

By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent

10 Nov 2012

Sgt Danny Nightingale, a special forces sniper who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was sentenced to 18 months in military detention by a court martial last week. 

His sentence was described last night as the “betrayal of a war hero”, made worse because it was handed down in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday. 

Sgt Nightingale had planned to fight the charge of illegally possessing the 9mm Glock. 

But his lawyer said he pleaded guilty after being warned that he could otherwise face a five-year sentence.

The soldier had hoped for leniency given the circumstances. At the court martial, even the prosecution described him as a serviceman of exemplary character, who had served his country for 17 years, 11 in the special forces. 

The court was told that he returned to Britain in a hurry after two friends were killed in Iraq, leaving his equipment — including the pistol — to be packed up by colleagues.

For more of the background details - and links for more on the story - on what his wife Sally calls (and I agree) "a disgrace" go here.

There is a petition to demand the release of Sgt Nightingale from jail, and return him to his family.  

It states:

It is a betrayal of an exemplary member of HM armed forces. The circumstances of this case (war trophy overlooked in the haste of battle preparation) in no way warrant a custodial sentence.

Please go sign it and stand with him in the face of this betrayal.  



Update:  There are FaceBook pages springing up to show support of this SAS Hero.  THIS seems to be the one with the most uptodate information, and a place to see what is being done. 


Interview with Sally Nightingale here.

Ceasefire? What ceasefire? PA Terrorism continues

From Israel National News:

PA Arab Road Terror Attacks Foiled by IDF

Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists are continuing road terror attacks on Israelis, although rocket fire is now banned.

By Chana Ya'ar

11/28/2012, 1:17 PM

Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists are continuing road terror attacks on Israelis, although rocket fire is now banned due to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza terrorists.

The deal, which ended Israel's eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense counter terror offensive in the region, was brokered by Egypt and the United States last week with Gaza's ruling Hamas terrorist organization. It eased security restrictions on Gaza residents, extending maritime fishing limits to six nautical miles from the shore and loosening controls on the land crossings into the region. 

The ceasefire had no effect on what has become an increase in the number of road terror attacks in Judea, Samaria and parts of Jerusalem restored to the capital in the 1967 Six Day War, however.
IDF soldiers discovered a bomb Wednesday morning planted along a road southwest of Shechem (Nablus) in the Shomron (Samaria) region.

Sappers who were called to the scene defused the explosive, preventing it from causing any injuries or damage. The perpetrator who planted the bomb has not yet been caught.

In a second terror attack, an Arab gang hurled rocks and firebombs at Israeli motorists traveling along the same road a short while later. The driver and passengers were not injured, and the vehicle was reportedly not damaged.

On Tuesday, PA Arabs hurled firebombs at a military vehicle north of Hevron, in Judea. No one was injured and no damage was reported. IDF soldiers fanned out to search the area for the attackers.

A 60-year-old woman was seriously wounded in a rock-and-firebomb attack recently near the city of Beitar Illit, located just south of Jerusalem, also in Judea.

The number of road terror attacks has been on the rise over the past year, parallelling the number of Muslim extremist leaders inciting PA Arabs on the street and calling for a "Third Intifada."

(c)  INN

Meanwhile, Canada will not support Palestinian bid at UN:

From Vancouver Sun:

 Stephen Harper confirms Canada will vote 'no' on recognition of Palestine at UN

November 28, 2012

By Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press

Palestinians hold a Palestinian flag and a poster of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper superimposed with a face of a dog during a protest following his remarks about the Palestinian UN bid for an observer state status, in front of Canadian representative offices in the West bank city of Ramallah, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012. Harper has threatened "there will be consequences" if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas does not end his campaign for the Palestinian Authority to be recognized by the UN as a non-member observer state. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

OTTAWA - Canada affirmed its steadfast opposition to Thursday's vote at the United Nations to confer statehood on Palestine, saying it would not support any "shortcuts" to peace with Israel.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed the decision on Wednesday with Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird bound for New York to cast Ottawa's vote and register Canada's disappointment with the latest Palestinian move at the UN for recognition.

The Harper government's support of its close friend Israel was unbowed by reports that its trusted international ally, Britain, had offered to abstain from the vote in return for a pledge from the Palestinian Authority to return to the negotiating table with the Israelis.

[...]

Harper said Canada favours a two-state solution in the Middle East which requires the Palestinian authority to return to the bargaining table for talks with Israel.

Much more here.

 

Iran calls Canada 'racist'! Really

From JihadWatch:

Iran blasts Canada as "racist" for pointing out its human rights abuses

And used the opportunity to spread a bit more antisemitic propaganda at the UN, as if there weren't enough there already. It's interesting to note how remarkably similar Mohammad Khazaee sounds to spokesmen for Islamic supremacist groups in the U.S.: the same ridiculous "racism" charge, the same tu quoque, the same claiming of victim status, the same demonizing of Israel. Is Khazaee taking lessons from Hussam Ayloush?
"Iran blasts Canada as ‘racist’ and ‘self-centred’ for moving UN resolution condemning Islamic Republic’s abuses," by Kathryn Blaze Carlson for the National Post, November 28:

Iran called Canada “racist” and “self-centred” at a UN meeting on Tuesday, where it tried to deflect criticism of its own human rights record and balked at a Canadian-led resolution condemning Iranian abuses.

In a statement before the humanitarian affairs committee, Iran’s ambassador to the UN said Canada had “a long list of human rights violations” against immigrants, Muslims, aboriginals and “Afro-Canadian women,” and accused Ottawa of “abusing human rights mechanisms to advance its self-centred political interests.”

“In fact, if any country had to get a resolution, [Canada] would have deserved it more than others because of their unsparing support of a regime [Israel] that has frequently committed genocide in the Palestinian Occupied Territories,” Mohammad Khazaee said in a statement to the UN committee, obtained by the National Post....

(source)

Wednesday Hero

  Fisher House Foundation The Fisher House Foundation is a great charity that offers free housing for families of wounded service members to stay in while their loved one recuperates. The Fisher House Foundation was start in 1990 and has a least one house at every major military medical center. Since there is no cost to the families they rely on donations to continue operating. So, please, head over to their site and check them out. And if you're able to, please make a donation.   These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Canadians, Americans hosted by 7 SCOTS

From MoD:

Scottish Reserves host Canadian and American troops

A Training and Adventure news article

27 Nov 12

Army reservists from 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (7 SCOTS) hosted a joint training exercise with Canadian and American troops in the Scottish Highlands.

An Army Reserves officer from 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland speaks to his US Army counterpart from 48th Infantry Brigade during Exercise Highland Spirit
[Picture: Mark Owens, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]

Around 50 soldiers from the 48th Highlanders of Canada and the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the United States took part in 'Exercise Highland Spirit', a military training exercise to strengthen the partnership between the troops and hone their military skills.

Major Richard Barker, 7 SCOTS, said:

"The aim of the exercise was to expose troops to their counterparts from allied nations in order to give them training experience for operations and to increase their understanding and awareness of training procedures."

The exercise took place on the Wyvis Training Area near Evanton in Easter Ross to test the soldiers' skills on the challenging rough terrain of the Scottish Highlands.

More drones in the American skies

From Homeland Security NewsWire:

U.S. skies may soon be open to drones 

27 November 2012 

Unmanned drones are cheaper than manned aircraft and can be used in a variety of ways, such as assessing environmental threats and damage from natural disaster, tracking criminals trying to escape on a highway, and assessing wildfires; according to an FAA prediction, 30,000 drones could be flying in the United States in less than twenty years; lawmakers and privacy advocates want the use of these drones more tightly regulated.


The U.S. government is attempting to open up the sky for drone use all over the nation. The sixty members House of Representatives’ Drone Caucus have pushed the agenda, and over the last four years caucus members have raised almost $8 million in drone-related campaign contributions.


The Houston Chronicle reports that theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) is swamped with applications from police departments, universities, private corporations, and even celebrity tabloid site TMZ seeking to use a wide range of drones for everything from law enforcement to weather mapping to stalking celebrities.


Drone use in the United States began with aerial patrols of the Mexican Border Patrol authorities. Since then the drone industry, along with law enforcement, have demanded more drone use, which led to provisions in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act which was signed into law in February....

More here