NAVY NEWS, JULY 2007 11
‘One bad day in our proud history’
FAILURES of command,
Jonathon Band agreed with Gen Armed Forces believe they
failures of intelligence,
Fulton’s findings and stressed that stand for: the team versus Lt Gen Fulton’s repor
t
failures of training and
his recommendations were already the individual, and selfless remains classif
ied as
being acted upon. service on behalf of the it affects operational
failures of media handling “Our operational focus and nation. That the decision procedures. But the
all conspired against 15
preparedness on the day were to accept payment caused general’s key comments
sailors and Royal Marines
found wanting,” he added. such anger and concern was and recommendations
from HMS Cornwall who
“This was due to the unfortunate entirely understandable.” as outlined by Def
ence
accumulation of many factors, not Mr Browne said first Secretary Des Browne to
were seized by Iran. because of any signle failure or and foremost, no Service Parliament w
ere:
Two official reports into the any particular individual’s human personnel would be allowed
■
capture of the frigate’s boarding to sell their stories to the
the Ro
error.
yal Navy
and Ministr
party – and the subsequent media “I intend to meet in full my media in future.
y of
Def
furore upon the personnel’s release But back in April the
ence must
responsibilities for the fighting
im
decision to accept payment
prov
– say there were “shortcomings”
e their
effectiveness, ethos, morale,
ability to identify
and “a collective failure of reputation and image of the Royal was seen by many people
and assess risk
judgment”, but that no one Navy and we will act robustly to in the Navy and MOD’s
s
in a com
individual person was at fault. PR departments as a fait
plex
address the findings of the inquiry.
environment suc
Defence Secretary Des Browne I can assure you that action plans accompli given the intense
h
as the nor
media interest in the story
ther
asked Royal Marine Lt Gen
n
are already in place.”
Gulf and train their
Sir Rob Fulton to look at the As for the media furore which – “a tsunami of media
men and women
operational reasons why the 15 rather overshadowed the captives’
coverage”.
● Back on patrol... Royal Marines attached to Task Force 158 and the
according
The families of the 15
ly;
had been taken by Iran – and seizure by Iran in the first place, boarding team return to HMS Cornwall at the end of a day of training on-
how such an incident could be the lengthy report by Mr Hall
captured personnel faced
board RFA Sir Bedivere
■ generic training
prevented in the future. is critical of the Senior Service’s
a barrage from reporters:
Picture: LA(Phot) Jannine Hartmann, FRPU Whale Island
for Royal Navy
And he called in former senior and MOD’s publicity machine
constant phone calls,
warships deplo
ying
BBC journalist Tony Hall to look – but it also highlights the (at
questioning on their
The former BBC man added “There has been a decline
is “world-class” but
at the way the RN and MOD dealt times unscrupulous) actions of the
doorsteps, ‘media camps’ set up
that had the leading hand been of trust and a worsening of the
specialist boarding
with the media when the sailors Fourth Estate.
in their streets.
at the press conference at RM relationship – in part because of
parties – rather
and marines returned to the UK Mr Hall said he could find no
Mr Hall said newspapers
Chivenor and told her story along the controversial nature of the
than mixed par
ties
a fortnight after their capture; the one person either in the RN or in
quickly began to offer money to
with her comrades, media interest continuing UK presence in Iraq,”
of Royal Marines
decision to allow the captives to Whitehall who had allowed sailors
the families of LS Faye Turney, the
in the story – and the hounding Mr Hall added.
and personnel from
sell their stories to newspapers to receive money from newspapers
only woman captured, and OM
of families by reporters – would “It is vitally important to get the
a ship’s compan
y
and TV coverage drew widespread for their stories.
Arthur Batchelor, the youngest
probably have rapidly subsided. relationship between the MOD
– should conduct
condemnation. “This was a collective failure of
member of the boarding party, for
The report states that press and Armed Forces and the media
board and searc
h
Of Gen Fulton’s report, Mr judgment – or an abstention from
their stories.
conferences are “a good option” right and, despite inevitable ups
operations in future;
Browne told Parliament it found judgment – rather than a failure by
“Many of the families felt
but much more thought must and downs, to preserve and build ■ improvements are
no matériel failures: HMS any one individual,” he added.
overwhelmed by the pressure of
go into them: personnel must be the hard won reputation of the needed in handling
Cornwall’s boarding party had the “Many people were consulted
the media,” said Mr Hall, and
thoroughly debriefed and support Armed Forces. They deserve no intelligence,
right kit for the job. or involved, but very few took a
although the RN and Whitehall
for them and their families less.” communications,
But the general said there clear view, and nobody clearly
provided ‘media shielders’, none
adequately provided before Admiral Band stressed that all doctrine and
were numerous shortcomings took control of the issue. Many
had been involved with a story of
being thrust into the full glare of sailors and Royal Marines should collective and
and failings both by British and people could have said ‘no’, and such magnitude before. publicity. continue to take heart from their individual training
Coalition forces in the Gulf. nobody did.” Having been thrust unwillingly Mr Hall’s report also warns that daily achievements and daily before deploying to
Mr Browne told fellow MPs: That failure to say ‘no’, however, on to Iranian TV, many of the the military will find it difficult professionalism. the Gulf.
“The events of March 23 were provoke widespread dismay among captives were keen to put their side adapting to a world of 24-hour “The events of March 23 were
Tony Hall’s 26-pag
not the result of a single gross of the story – something which the
e
the public, veterans and politicians rolling news, not least where one bad day in our proud 400-
report on the media
failing or individual error, but the and harmed the standing of RN was also keen for them to do the emphasis is very much on year history,” he added.
handling aspects of the
coming together of a series of Britain’s Armed Forces. on their release. individual ‘human interest’ stories, “This incident was a significant
crisis is not classif
Mr Hall said the press
ied;
vulnerabilities – many relatively “The acceptance of payments instead of much more in-depth, blow to our reputation, but it
it has been published
small when viewed in isolation, from the media offended the public conference arranged on the 15’s serious, researched articles and must not be seen as a permanent
and can be found on the
but which together placed our and their view of the special place return to the UK on Good Friday news features. blemish.
internet at
news.mod.uk
personnel in a position that could of the Armed Forces in British was too hastily organised and Not least, the senior journalist “As Winston Churchill said:
be exploited by Iran.” life,” Mr Hall continued. the fact that LS Turney was not said, there was a rift between ‘Difficulties mastered are
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir “It also ran contrary to what the present was a mistake. Whitehall and Fleet Street. opportunities won.’”
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