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Gordon Cambells Article On Def Inquiry Into Death of NZ Army Officer in Afghanistan.

Re: Gordon Campbell - On the Lieutenant O’Donnell inquiry

Dear Sir, I read the comments by Gordon Cambell with great interest.As a former long serving member of the New Zealand Army and a Vietnam veteran can I make the following points.

1.A pime rule in infantry tactics is that one does not proceed along the bottom of valleys or defiles without first securing the high ground with either boots on the ground, air cover or covering fire.This is a rule well known amongst experienced infantry from WW11 onwards.

2.Anti ambush drills were routinely practiced as part of Infantry training from the 1960's onwards.Are they still?

3.Having witnessed an action against Australian Centurion Tanks circa the Vietnam War I can state catergorically that RPG 7's are quite capable of stopping a tank in it's tracks. RPG7's would most certainly destroy and /or disable light armoured vehicles.

4.Basic All Arms Infantry Training must make the soldier proficient in the use of all Infantry Weapons including light, medium and heavy machine guns.

5.The NZ Army needs to rethink the calibre of its small arms.The 7.62mm semi automatic rifle would be far more suitable for use in open country.The .223 calibre round was primarily designed for jungle warfare.The Taliban in many cases uses rifles which out range the Steyr by some hundreds of meters.

Yours Faithfully, John A Moller QSMPerth WA

W2 Coy 4RAR and 6RAR(NZ) ANZAC Bns 1968-69

PS: IEDs by the way are not a new problem. They were widely used by the VC during the Vietnam Conflict.

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Article on Norweegian as a 'Fundamentalist Chrsitian" needs a bit of explanation

Re: Bill Berkowitz - Nightmare in Norway and Fundamentalist Christian Terrorists

I am a bit disappointed with the article Nightmare in Norway and Fundamentalist Christian Terrorists Tuesday, 26 July 2011, 1:23 pm Column: Bill Berkowitz

The information shows and it is unfortunate that the secular Norwegian police mistakenly announced to the world that the killer was a fundamental Christian Analysis of the shooter's long manifesto rant suggests a right wing nationalis, who believed in Darwinism, secular humanism and ridiculed people who trusted in God as weak as Nietzsche would He even accepted atheists and agnostics as Christians if they were primarily pro Europe or pro Norway culture. He was not remotely a Christian, a conservative chrsitian or a fundamentalist chrsitian He said "I am not particular religious' but felt all protestants should become catholics

It that in any way remotely Christian, Conservative Christian, or Fundamentalist Christian. No. In no way at all.

It’s a sad commentary on the investigation and willingness to malign religious people

Did you hear a retraction, clarification or appology no Why is it that is is so easy to slander Christians nowadays?

Dr Michael Scaman.

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