Where is the outrage?

31 March 2007

Much has been rightly made of how the disgracefully poor housing and healthcare offered to military families breaches the compact between society and the military. But our indifference to the kidnapping of these sailors and marines does so in an even more fundamental way. To choose to ignore a war or hostile acts against our troops because it is just too difficult to deal with is unconscionable. Whatever we might feel about Iraq — and 60 per cent of us now view it as a mistake — we cannot just forget or excuse attacks against the troops serving there.

The danger is that the longer this stand-off goes on, the further back in our minds these brave men and women will fall. We’ll go back to speculating about Prince Harry’s ‘other woman’ and David Cameron’s hair parting. For all the weakness and vacillation that the Carter administration displayed during the 1979–81 Iran hostage crisis, the American public at least never forgot the hostages. If we do, we will be betraying not only the unfortunate 15 who are currently languishing in an Iranian jail but also our values and any claims we may have to still be a force for anything in the world.

Britain’s interests, compassion and dignity demand a strong approach. We must never allow it to be thought that the British military can be attacked with impunity.