I recall writing a few years ago about the dire effect on populations such as the US,re soldiers' bodies being repatriated from the "war" in Vietnam. President Johnson (according to the bestof my memory),felt obliged to end America's hostilities there as the nation was now against the continuing slaughter of their young men or the loss of sons who fled the country to avoid call up.I met some of those in London c196-68. I was ruefully amused, therefore to learn,on the 27th of September, 2013, from the BBC news and the Guardian,that the Ministry of Defense wanted to to reduce "the the public profile of repatriation ceremonies" for casualties(not deaths)and the parading of coffins of British soldiers brought home from Afghanistan.This was because the numbers had risen annually,for four years up to 2011,from 345 brought back to several airforce bases and driven in union flag draped hearses,through the nearest towns to their homes.This information was only obtained by the Guardian using the freedom of information act to access the document written in November 2012.Since then bodies have been flown to RAF Brize Norton to RAF to Brize Norton, to assuage "casualty averse" public opinion.One widow, Deborah Allbutt, whose husband was killed by "friendly fire"in Iraq,in 2003,was amongst those who were scathing about the change which she described as "brushing deaths under the carpet". Along with other bereaved families she fought for and won the right to seek damages for life changing injuries and deaths of spouses or offspring, male and female. The statistics indicate why so many were reluctant to endorse military intervention in Syria,and will only do so when they feel they have a stake in it, such as the Falklands war and operations in N. Ireland.

This is totally ridiculous! I have had to jump through hoops to enable me to continue my OWN BLOG! Admittedly its several years since I wrote on it, but never knew I had to add to it at regular intervals...