Troops ridicule Mr Bean, the 'cry baby' captive of Iran

[leobold1]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23392218-details/Troops+ridicule+Mr+Bean%2C+the+'cry+baby'+captive+ of+Iran/article.do


Many serving soldiers were unimpressed by Arthur Batchelor's tears after being called Mr Bean


Servicemen have rounded on the sailors who sold their stories of being held captive by Iran.

A series of messages on forces' websites ridiculed Arthur Batchelor and Faye Turney, who cashed in after being held prisoner for 13 days.

Today they were forced onto the defensive, with Seaman Batchelor claiming he had got so little money from the deal he could barely afford to pay for a driving test.

The 20-year-old's admission came as Defence Secretary Des Browne admitted his decision to allow the former hostages to sell their stories to the media was wrong, and Conservative leader David Cameron demanded an inquiry into the "calamitous" decision.

Mr Browne said of the controversial move: "Responsibility for that rests with me. I knew about the decision. A note indicating the decision and the anlysis of the regulations that supported that decision came into my office on Thursday and early on Friday afternoon one of my officials took me through that."

Relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq criticised Mr Browne's admission and said he should have anticipated the furore the decision caused and called on him to put a blanket ban on all serving military personnel speaking to the press.

Reg Keys, whose son Thomas was one of six members of the Royal Military Police killed by an Iraqi mob in June 2003, said: "I do applaud Des Browne for his honesty in taking responsibility but I don't accept this phrase 'with hindsight'. When people use those words it's seen as failed forethought."

Seaman Batchelor has also admitted he "let the Royal Navy down" and "disappointed his comrades" by selling his story to the media.

He said he would not have accepted the money had he known the MoD would later reverse its decision to allow the hostages to be paid to talk to the press.

Speaking to the Plymouth Evening Herald newspaper, he said: "To be honest, I feel a bit strange about the situation. One minute they're (the MoD) are telling us we can, and the next they're saying 'no more'."

Seaman Batchelor's claim that he cried himself to sleep after his Iranian captors likened him to the comedy character Mr Bean made him a laughing stock.

One serving soldier posted: "Batchelor didn't do the reputation of servicemen much good either! Being broken by being called Mr Bean FFS! - that must be on a par with Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition and the comfy cushions."

Comments left on unofficial forces' websites, the Rum Ration and the British Army Rumour Service laid into Ms Turney and Mr Batchelor.

Another servicemen says of Mr Batchelor's complaint that his iPod was stolen by the Iranians: "What I wish to know is why a young lad on a boarding party detail needed to take his iPod? If he listened to The Ride of the Valkyries as he sped towards the target ship, what did he listen to on his trip to Iran?"

In response others on Rum Ration suggest: "Crying by Don McLean, perhaps?, The Beat Surrender, Always Look On The Bright Side Of life? and Onward Christian Soldiers."

Another contributor said of Ms Turney, who sold her story to the Sun: "Made me squirm when she said 'President of Iran gave me a toy doll for my daughter and am keeping it after the bomb disposal experts cleared it'.

"Believe me dear, the Iranians don't need to get any more publicity from blowing up you or anyone else ... you're providing all the publicity for them for free."

Another angry contributor wrote: "They should be expelled from the Armed Forces. Maybe HMS Cornwall could make a series like The Loveboat or be used for Big Brother? The Royal Navy seems intent on becoming a complete laughing-stock."

In his latest interview with the Daily Mirror, Mr Batchelor, the youngest of the 15 sailors, said he saw the money as small compensation and complained he could not afford to buy a car.

"I'm really hurt by all the criticism. People think I'm some kind of millionaire now, dining out on lobster and champagne - but I'm not. The money I've received will simply pay for a few driving lessons. I'm not sure it will cover the cost of an actual test, let alone a car.

"I see the payment more as compensation for spending the time telling the story to reporters when I should have been out with my family and friends. But it was important that the world heard about what I went through."

Ms Turney received an estimated £60,000 for selling the story of her time as a captive to The Sun and Tonight With Trevor MacDonald.

A poll on the Rum Ration website has 92 per cent of members agreeing that Mr Batchelor was "wrong to sell his story". Warmonger posts: "Let's face it irrespective of wherever she (Turney) goes this will hang around her neck like the proverbial albatross for a long time yet to come! Jade Goody would hand back her BB contestant fee for the chance to have her time in the house again.

"The Iranians might be a bunch of s****, but they seem much better at handling the propaganda machine. If the fuss gets any more intense they'll probably wish they were back in their cells."

BTDT posts on the Army Rumour Service: "I see no reason why they should not be allowed to sell their stories. I do, however, believe that they should be required to leave the service first."


The 15 hostages leave Iran for Britain

[Woodmonkey]

I wondered when this would happen. That young one talking about bawling like a baby wasn't very impressive. He and others with him didn't come off as professional, tough, military. I also can't believe that woman would give that doll to her daughter.

The 15 hostages leave Iran for Britain

Look at the three men on the right. They don't seem to be taking part in the friendly waves.

[Snowden]

Most servicemen start as kids, don't they? Many just out of high school. It couldn't have been easy for him to admit to shedding tears, though. He is apparently too honest for his own good, as they say. Nobody minded Faye saying she cried herself to sleep most nights. We women are not frowned on for crying. The Bible says twice that "Jesus wept" and we don't criticize that. Yet a young man is captured, told he is going to be killed and we find it a bad thing that he admits he was scared, that he wept.

It's sexism. That's what it is.

[Woodmonkey]

Originally Posted by Snowden

Most servicemen start as kids, don't they? Many just out of high school. It couldn't have been easy for him to admit to shedding tears, though. He is apparently too honest for his own good, as they say. Nobody minded Faye saying she cried herself to sleep most nights. We women are not frowned on for crying. The Bible says twice that "Jesus wept" and we don't criticize that. Yet a young man is captured, told he is going to be killed and we find it a bad thing that he admits he was scared, that he wept.

It's sexism. That's what it is.

He presented himself as weak, said he balled like a baby and that does reflect badly on the rest of them by what they say themselves on their site. Check out those links. This article is all about criticism out of the UK and by the UK military.

It's a part of the criticism of how they acted while held hostage - this criticism has been leveled by military both here and there. Go to their sites and you will see that the military in the UK are harder on them than we are.

Compare it to our hostages who were held in Iran years ago. A very different picture entirely.

I don't see where Jesus has anything to do with this.

[KBay84]

Originally Posted by Woodmonkey

Look at the three men on the right. They don't seem to be taking part in the friendly waves.

First thing I noticed. Professionals with indifference towards their captors and disdain towards their waving mates...

[Woodmonkey]