U.S. jets forced to drop bombs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef

[chuckd]

This whole thing is much ado about nothing. Two inert and two unarmed bombs were dropped in a large body of water with no known or unknown damage to the environment or little fishies.

Can anybody cite any lasting damage to the reef or wildlife so far?

My question is, since Australia is largely unpopulated, why not just drop them in the nearest desert and try to kill a few snakes?

[Fookhaht]

****Comments from nitpicking post removed.****

At least they used the word "forced" in the title. BBC titled their article with "US jets dropped bombs on Great Barrier Reef". Makes it sound like the U.S. is starting a bombing campaign on the Great Barrier Reef.

Next headline in the gossip chain: "US Bombs Great Barrier Reef"

[Sing_Sling]

In Australia we have a little thing we do, when we leave a place we take our rubbish with us. Don't forget to clean up your mess America we don't want your rubbish in out front yard.

Cheers alt=thumbsup.gif>

They didn't seem to mind too much in 1942! alt=thumbsup.gif>

Reality is that there are some thinking people in Australia that can see a similar threat from the north developing in the near future. That is why Australia and the United States are developing an even closer relationship as allies. And why Australian and United States military forces are training together to enhance their ability to operate together.

Good grief . . . You do realise that the US and Australia have had joint exercises for decades, don't you?

Clean it up!

I very much doubt that this will happen. 2 inactive and 2 dummy bombs have no likelihood of exploding and will cause very little pollution in an area of the vast pacific with strong currents. Hard to justify the expense.

Any attempt to recover will be for PR purposes only.

Then let the PT exercise start - they're only a few bombs but it would deflect a lot of bad press.

[Sing_Sling]

In Australia we have a little thing we do, when we leave a place we take our rubbish with us. Don't forget to clean up your mess America we don't want your rubbish in out front yard.

Cheers

They didn't seem to mind too much in 1942!

Reality is that there are some thinking people in Australia that can see a similar threat from the north developing in the near future. That is why Australia and the United States are developing an even closer relationship as allies. And why Australian and United States military forces are training together to enhance their ability to operate together.

Eh? No one in Australia considers Indonesia a threat or a near future threat (this includes all country's just above Australia). Just an excuse for the war mongering Americans to set up shop again. Australia's just a one stop sub shop for the US Navy

Would this be the same Australia that literally begged the US for help against the Japanese in WWII and the US saved their butts? Would this be the same Australia which has a treaty with the US for the defense of Australia and which regularly practices with the US in case of emergency?

And you want to complain about a couple of unarmed and unexploded bombs which of course will be retrieved, which bombs were dropped during a joint training exercise with both Australia and the US, an operation called "Exercise Talisman Saber"? You do know they didn't actually hit the reef, don't you?

So you're saying that Australia 'literally begged the US to help' . . . in which case you'd be willing to provide credible links and sources for this? Thanks in advance.

There is no doubt that Australia asked the US or assistance, Britain having more problems of their own which they couldn't solve. I doubt, however, that it was a complete action of love . . . everyone has their ulterior motive. But, when all is said and done they did.

Now, because they did you want Australia and Australians to accept everything the US does? Yea, get real, mate, life doesn't work that way . . . and we have proven far too often that we are worthy allies - so the US should just shut it if they have a beef about what we do.

Seems logical, doesn't it . . . well, logical by your reasoning

[geriatrickid]

This whole thing is much ado about nothing. Two inert and two unarmed bombs were dropped in a large body of water with no known or unknown damage to the environment or little fishies.

Can anybody cite any lasting damage to the reef or wildlife so far?

My question is, since Australia is largely unpopulated, why not just drop them in the nearest desert and try to kill a few snakes?

Really? What if the ordinance contained depleted uranium? Many parts of "unpopulated" Nevada and New Mexico are no go areas because of the risk of radiation and similar ordinance as was dropped in the case of Australia.

You comment is rather arrogant and irresponsible. It is also disrespectful of Australian sovereignty. Have you considered the fact that the Australians do not want such ordinance dropped in their country? The same sentiment as expressed by many millions of Americans that do not want ordinance fired into the fragile ecosystems at firing ranges off of Guam, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The Australian outback contains a fragile ecosystem and what you consider as a trifling loss of "snakes" would not necessarily be so.

This was an unfortunate event and should be dealt with in a responsible manner without such a dismissal of the concerns of the host country and a valued and important defense partner. You may discount the importance of Australia, but it is the pivotal bulwark of asia pacific defence strategy. Australia is also the key component of intelligence gathering in the region. Without the participation of Australia (and New Zealand) the USA's pacific region would be exposed and would require many billions more in national defence spending. Rather than condescendingly wave of the Australian concerns, a responsible and intelligent person would listen and take them into consideration and respond respectfully to those concerns.

[chuckd]

This whole thing is much ado about nothing. Two inert and two unarmed bombs were dropped in a large body of water with no known or unknown damage to the environment or little fishies.

Can anybody cite any lasting damage to the reef or wildlife so far?

My question is, since Australia is largely unpopulated, why not just drop them in the nearest desert and try to kill a few snakes?

Really? What if the ordinance contained depleted uranium? Many parts of "unpopulated" Nevada and New Mexico are no go areas because of the risk of radiation and similar ordinance as was dropped in the case of Australia.

You comment is rather arrogant and irresponsible. It is also disrespectful of Australian sovereignty. Have you considered the fact that the Australians do not want such ordinance dropped in their country? The same sentiment as expressed by many millions of Americans that do not want ordinance fired into the fragile ecosystems at firing ranges off of Guam, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The Australian outback contains a fragile ecosystem and what you consider as a trifling loss of "snakes" would not necessarily be so.

This was an unfortunate event and should be dealt with in a responsible manner without such a dismissal of the concerns of the host country and a valued and important defense partner. You may discount the importance of Australia, but it is the pivotal bulwark of asia pacific defence strategy. Australia is also the key component of intelligence gathering in the region. Without the participation of Australia (and New Zealand) the USA's pacific region would be exposed and would require many billions more in national defence spending. Rather than condescendingly wave of the Australian concerns, a responsible and intelligent person would listen and take them into consideration and respond respectfully to those concerns.

Oh, brother. How much more ridiculous can this thread get?

Just for the record, I lost an older brother on Guadalcanal in 1942. Come down off your condescending high horse and take a deep breath.

Edited July 29, 2013 by chuckd

[Scott]

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