tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post9213478052395618142..comments2024-03-20T12:03:26.126+00:00Comments on Thin Pinstriped Line: Is the UK still failing in the West Indies (Part Two)Sir Humphreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-62397154214254503682017-09-13T23:27:48.462+01:002017-09-13T23:27:48.462+01:00On your first point: yes, much of the UK media cov...On your first point: yes, much of the UK media coverage has been terrible, because it's based on the assumption that the (upper) middle class tourists are more important than the British and other EU nationals for whom the Caribbean is home. The fact that the tourists are mostly white and the locals are mostly black is probably coincidence, but it's certainly unfortunate.<br /><br />On your third point: the Commonwealth Caribbean islands do co-operate through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)m which tries to share resources between the islands, largely funded by the EU. I don't have inside knowledge, but I suspect that co-operation will be difficult though because each island has its own power-brokers; that's why there are so many tiny states in the first place.SeekTruthFromFactshttp://www.twitter.com/SeekTruthFromFxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-72011535074345226062017-09-13T23:16:46.101+01:002017-09-13T23:16:46.101+01:00I agree with many of the points made in this and t...I agree with many of the points made in this and the preceding articles (no-one can predict where hurricanes can hit, the effectiveness of RAF air mobility, the demonstration of jointery, unrealistic expectations of the FCO's tiny staff in the region, etc.). Your article and a Twitter conversation have also persuaded me that Mount's Bay is far better suited to this task than the old warship/tanker combo; in this case, austerity has been the mother of invention, with good results.<br /><br />However, I still think the UK's response has been poor in two ways. Firstly, Mr Johnson and Ms Patel were still saying in the middle of last week that the FCO would be contacting British nationals. So at that point, they were thinking about British tourists, not British territories (they clearly understand this point now, but it's too late). Secondly, the APT(N) ship is probably good enough for a cat 1 or cat 2 storm. But this was a Cat 5, and it needed an extra level of effort. <br /><br />"what would you have done as a course of action given the many logistical constraints facing the planners in this scenario?"<br /><br />I'll attempt to answer this, as no-one else has.<br /><br />On September 4 last week, the Met Office and NHC were saying that Hurricane Irma was en route to the Leeward Islands and was likely to be Cat 5 when it reached there. There were steps that could have been taken at that point:<br />- Get a battalion to Brize Norton or Stansted ASAP (we have a spearhead battalion on permanent standby, do we not?)<br />- Move them and their basic kit by Voyager or Globemaster or commercially-leased aircraft to a regional hub away from Irma, such as Kingston, Montego Bay or Port of Spain. Ask the Jamaicans/Trinidadians to help to find (but not necessarily fund) accommodation for the ~600 soldiers as part of hurricane relief.<br />- Hire a small airliner in the US to arrive at the regional hub early on Sept 6. I believe this costs about £175,000/day.<br />- (Hypothetically) Irma misses the Leewards and heads straight for Florida. Not our problem, so the squaddies have had a couple of days in the Caribbean & come home by the cheapest means. If anyone questions it, show them the pictures from Florida or Hurricane Andrew.<br />- (Real life) Irma hits British territories, so you use that regional jet to fly the battalion to the nearest usable airport for onward movement, probably via RFA Mount's Bay, but possibly by commercial shipping or helicopter. You might need a couple of runs for both legs.<br />- If by some freak of nature Irma heads to the hub airport, then you just fly them to another regional hub.<br /><br />This plan doesn't require sending troops into hundreds of islands, nor does it require foreknowledge of the disaster, but gets boots on the ground at least 24h earlier - the days when the looting and disorder was worst and the need was greatest. I'm sure it has weak points other than the costs (I'm just a citizen, with no specialist knowledge), but it seems to answer the objections in this article.SeekTruthFromFactshttp://www.twitter.com/SeekTruthFromFxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-76864799610605963682017-09-12T06:29:15.632+01:002017-09-12T06:29:15.632+01:00I've read the story of the couple stuck on one...I've read the story of the couple stuck on one of the islands. How much of the criticism is accurate is hard to tell, however it does seem odd that aircraft were leaving not even half full? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-58774973167832430262017-09-11T18:12:58.193+01:002017-09-11T18:12:58.193+01:00It seems afew readers here dont understand irony/S...It seems afew readers here dont understand irony/Sarcasm....L Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15515400614815460141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-57581877956316254282017-09-11T13:10:54.150+01:002017-09-11T13:10:54.150+01:00I suspect that the alignment of Not a Boffin's...I suspect that the alignment of Not a Boffin's tongue and cheek are not apparent to some readers of his/her remarks.widgeon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/02151930016533830789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-71383972516171587772017-09-11T00:04:34.534+01:002017-09-11T00:04:34.534+01:00Not a boffin WTF!!
Sir Humphrey again well laid o...Not a boffin WTF!!<br /><br />Sir Humphrey again well laid out argument, the Telegraph story of a couple of presumably well off tourists not immediately being rescued is exactly expectation management. Their first complaint was the USAF should have taken them off because we were British dammit, following storm coverage over the weekend, the US only succeeded in evacuating the last of their own nationals late today, then the argument was the Dutch or French should have helped, well again which part of the island they are on is not made clear and both governments are trying to deal with the needs of the entire population not just 2 tourists however frightened. <br /><br />The French are getting additional resources to the area but that arriving from Metropolitan France is arriving today, a couple of days after the first RAF flights. <br /><br />Cuba despite being hit itself is sending medical staff to a variety of the smaller islands, perhaps going forward DFID/MOD should help co-ordinate help between the Coomonwealth independent islands, BVI or Anguilla are tiny but Jamaica isn't, perhaps this happens already and it just needs more publicity.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05270416768188186705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-4365542968659901172017-09-10T22:24:25.761+01:002017-09-10T22:24:25.761+01:00What planet is Not a Boffin on?What planet is Not a Boffin on?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-28692109632657007512017-09-10T22:23:05.916+01:002017-09-10T22:23:05.916+01:00FFSFFSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-6085272659030136312017-09-10T18:39:14.751+01:002017-09-10T18:39:14.751+01:00This is all far too sensible. You need to get with...This is all far too sensible. You need to get with the zeitgeist...<br /><br />Can you please just get "on message" and confirm that it's all PM TMs fault, as once again, just like Grenfell the BAME population have suffered and the none-BAME population have been inconvenienced, just like the Southern Rail strike which is also the fault of PM TM and could have been avoided if only Jezza had been declared the winner like he so obviously was.<br /><br />As for the FR/NL efforts, clearly we'd have been "equal" to them if only the stupid people hadn't voted for Brexit.<br /><br />Now - can someone please find some sort of transgendered person in the same hemisphere who is unable to find a suitable lavatory facility due to the effects of Irma. Why doesn't Mounts Bay/the RAF/DFID have a ready stock of portaloos with suitable transgender signage etc. It's a scandal!Not a Boffinnoreply@blogger.com