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Subject: What is the code of conduct for UK soldiers when taken prisoner?
reefdiver    3/30/2007 11:03:32 PM
I'm just curious about the code of conduct for UK soldiers when taken prisoner. In the current hostage crisis, there appears to have been no physical torture used to obtain the confessions we've heard. Of course we don't know what kind of threats were made against them. Here's part of the US Code of Conduct I copied off a net document: "If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy. . . . If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and back them up in every way. . . . I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country or harmful to their cause." I especially note the final clause. Does the UK have such a code?
 
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neutralizer       3/31/2007 12:22:07 AM
The UK generally doesn't go in for codes like this and has never had the sort of problems (Korea) that gave rise to it.
 
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reefdiver       3/31/2007 1:08:22 AM

The UK generally doesn't go in for codes like this and has never had the sort of problems (Korea) that gave rise to it.


Are British soldiers going into a war zone trained in any sort of behavior to deal with situations such as the current Iranian one - especially about the statements and enemy media manipulation? 
 
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reefdiver       3/31/2007 1:43:28 AM

The UK generally doesn't go in for codes like this and has never had the sort of problems (Korea) that gave rise to it.


Are British soldiers going into a war zone trained in any sort of behavior to deal with situations such as the current Iranian one - especially about the statements and enemy media manipulation? 
 
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EW3       4/1/2007 1:14:43 AM

The UK generally doesn't go in for codes like this and has never had the sort of problems (Korea) that gave rise to it.


Actually the US code of conduct goes back to before the Korean War, think is was WWII. 
During Vietnam, we were trained (during SERE school) to get on TV at any cost.  Even if you had to give a false statement.  The reason being that once on TV you were accounted for and the enemy coul dbe held responsibile if anything happened to you.  This is why so many B-52 crews appeared to be less than stoic.  Too many peole disappeared in Hanoi, and getting seen on world wide TV was a smart play.  Sadly it was a nuance missed by the news media. They thought our people were cowards.
 
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EW3       4/1/2007 1:15:20 AM

The UK generally doesn't go in for codes like this and has never had the sort of problems (Korea) that gave rise to it.


Actually the US code of conduct goes back to before the Korean War, think is was WWII. 
During Vietnam, we were trained (during SERE school) to get on TV at any cost.  Even if you had to give a false statement.  The reason being that once on TV you were accounted for and the enemy coul dbe held responsibile if anything happened to you.  This is why so many B-52 crews appeared to be less than stoic.  Too many peole disappeared in Hanoi, and getting seen on world wide TV was a smart play.  Sadly it was a nuance missed by the news media. They thought our people were cowards.
 
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EW3       4/1/2007 1:15:38 AM

The UK generally doesn't go in for codes like this and has never had the sort of problems (Korea) that gave rise to it.


Actually the US code of conduct goes back to before the Korean War, think is was WWII. 
During Vietnam, we were trained (during SERE school) to get on TV at any cost.  Even if you had to give a false statement.  The reason being that once on TV you were accounted for and the enemy coul dbe held responsibile if anything happened to you.  This is why so many B-52 crews appeared to be less than stoic.  Too many peole disappeared in Hanoi, and getting seen on world wide TV was a smart play.  Sadly it was a nuance missed by the news media. They thought our people were cowards.
 
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EW3       4/1/2007 1:16:16 AM

The UK generally doesn't go in for codes like this and has never had the sort of problems (Korea) that gave rise to it.


Actually the US code of conduct goes back to before the Korean War, think is was WWII. 
During Vietnam, we were trained (during SERE school) to get on TV at any cost.  Even if you had to give a false statement.  The reason being that once on TV you were accounted for and the enemy coul dbe held responsibile if anything happened to you.  This is why so many B-52 crews appeared to be less than stoic.  Too many people disappeared in Hanoi, and getting seen on world wide TV was a smart play.  Sadly it was a nuance missed by the news media. They thought our people were cowards.
 
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reefdiver       4/1/2007 9:44:35 PM
So do you think the British soldiers have been previously trained to say anything they're told to say by their captors?
 
 
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jastayme3       4/5/2007 12:52:29 PM
Actually I think the real issue isn't that someone cracked for nobody knows who will crack, but the fear by many that it will not be looked on as a flaw that someone cracked. I have a suggestion-offer the people that disgraced themselves a billet in the most dangerous post available and give them a chance to take it. This is gotten from an old story. There was a Spartan who survived Theropylae. Now of course no one on Earth wants to be the Spartan who survives Thermopylae-it is arguably worse then being the one who didn't. As might be expected he was shunned by his comrades. At Platea however he redeemed himself honorably and his name is well remembered. Why not do that here? It is reasonably merciful to human weakness and at the same time reminds people that such can't be condoned. And if he doesn't take that chance-it shall be noted and logged.
 
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jastayme3       4/5/2007 12:57:22 PM
Actually I find it kind of suprising that "Codes of Conduct" should be necessary. It used to be that it was obvious how someone should behave. I am not sneering presumptuously because I don't know how I would behave. But I do know how I should in such a circumstance.
 
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