Bullets hail after Norwegian military sex comments
The Norwegian military is in a crisis meeting today after sex-starved soldiers serving in Afghanistan have reportedly told their own magazine they get high from killing people.
One-sided?
"Being in battle is worth the three months without sex. It might sound silly, but it is better than fucking. It is either you or your enemy on the battlefield, and seeing ‘red mist’ (an indication of a More.. lethal hit) through the binoculars is indescribable," VG quotes from a taped interview for ‘ALFA’ magazine, due to be launched on Friday.
The statements have alarmed Major General Per Sverre Opedal, the military’s Inspector-General.
"I understand that the soldiers' life is tough but I cannot allow indifference or inappropriate attitudes to creep into the Army, whatever the explanation [is]. For me, it is crucial that Norwegian soldiers exercise their profession with prudence, not brutality," he says in a press release.
Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Terje Hanssen tells Aftenposten he acknowledges they face a challenge.
"These are statements we cannot support. At the same time, it is important to bear in mind that what is printed is probably a one-dimensional representation by a whole person."
Opposition
VG alleges military heads have known about concerns over the culture in certain parts of the Telemark Battalion (Telemarksbataljonen), stationed in Afghanistan, for at least a year.
However, Minister of Defence, Grete Faremo distances herself comments made by the soldiers.
"I strongly oppose [what has been said]. Our soldiers receive great recognition for their mission. But if the types of attitudes that have come forth in VG exist, then they are best left in the dark," she tells NRK.
Friendly fire
Meanwhile Magnus S Rønningen, ALFA’s Editor in Chief, tells NTB he believes the real scandal here is how the military has handled the matter.
"It is not the soldiers’ comments that are the most shocking here, but the military’s way of publicly stabbing its own soldiers in the back. It is for me, at best, extremely bad leadership," he says
Izvor
prijevod
Za učestvovanje u borbi vrijedi biti tri mjeseca bez seksa. Možda glupo zvuči, ali bolje je od seksa. Ili si ti ili je neprijatelj, a vidjeti crveni trag krvi kroz nišan je neopisivo", rekao je jedan od vojnika koji je govorio o borbi u Afganistanu.
Izjava je objavljena u magazinu za muškarce "Alfa" u kome su vojnici izjavili da užitak ubijanja nadmašuje seksualni.
Ove izjave naljutile su glavnog generala Per Sverre Opedala. "Razumijem da je život vojnika težak, ali ne mogu dopustiti indiferenciju ili neprikladan stav u vojsci bez obzira na objašnjenje", rekao je. "Za mene je ključno da norveški vojnici vježbaju svoju profesionalnost sa ponosom, a ne brutalnosti".
