Witch hunt double standards

Successive British governments have been at the forefront of international moves to bring to justice the armed forces of other countries accused of war crimes. The current denunciation of the Russian military actions in Syria is a good example, but there have been many others in the past. So it comes as some surprise to witness political leaders of all parties demanding an end to the 'witch hunt' of British soldiers accused of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Former prime minister Tony Blair said it is wrong to put troops through the ordeal of a criminal investigation for events in a war zone as long as thirteen years ago. Current prime minister Theresa May has stated that she wants to crack down on vexatious claims, which our Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has called a 'witch hunt' against British soldiers.

So what is the justification given for abandoning this 'witch hunt' against British servicemen. It was provided in a Sunday Telegraph article which is worth quoting in full. 'There are legitimate fears that any prosecution which takes place so long after the alleged events will be flawed, given the risk of witnesses being unable to recall events accurately. Some accusers may also be motivated by the prospect of compensation payments from the government.'

However, a strange double standard seems to exist here. Neither the government, nor the opposition parties, nor the gutter press have any qualms about putting men through the ordeal of a criminal prosecution when they have been accused of sexcrimes dating back as long as fifty years ago. Yet all the arguments against continuing the prosecution of soldiers apply equally to these men. But such has been the surrender to the agenda of feminists and children's charities to continue their 'witch hunt' to demonise all men as either potential sexual predators or paedophiles, we are unlikely to see any acknowledgement of this double standard by the politically correct establishment, or their lackeys in the mainstream media.