Some Brits Still Got It.

If you don't know, considering the media isn't covering it now that it's Obama's Good (and Forgotten) War, we're still fighting over there in Afghanistan, as are our allies the Brits.

A British medic was recently awarded the Military Cross for working to save lives under fire on two separate occasions in Afghanistan, and saving an Afghan soldier.

Even better in that Islam-dominated conflict, the medic is female:

The Telegraph: Female medic awarded Military Cross for bravery

The Daily Mail: 'Oh, Kylie! What did you do? Next time, please don’t...': What mother told Military Cross hero daughter who twice braved hails of bullets to tend war wounded

Both stories are worth reading and both give slightly different coverage of the events that led to L.Cpl. Kylie Watson being awarded the Military Cross for both saving lives and engaging the enemy while doing so.

Both stories clearly show that she deserves the award.

Nicely done indeed.

The Very Model Of A Modern Major British Military Comedy

There's a new and quite funny British comedy out there - Bluestone 42.

Set in Afghanistan during Operation Herrick, it features the travails and antics of a British Bomb disposal detachment.

Not yet available on DVD in the US, you can catch the whole first season on YouTube, and apparently Season 2 is being produced currently.

Libyan Bomber's cancer diagnosis by a GP?

Chalk up another win for both the British National Health Service and British Realpolitik.

New row over 'non-expert' cancer diagnosis of Lockerbie bomber al-Megrahi

The furore over the release of the Lockerbie bomber intensified today over the medical advice given to the Scottish government on how long he has to live.

It emerged that the prognosis that Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi had a life expectancy of only three months or less was supported by an unnamed doctor who had no expertise in terminal prostate cancer.

The final report on al-Megrahi’s condition which went to Kenny MacAskill was drawn up by Dr Andrew Fraser, director of health and care with the Scottish Prison Service.

The three-month time limit is important because Scottish Prison Service guidance says that compassionate release from prison “may be considered where a prisoner is suffering from a terminal illness and death is likely to occur soon. There are no fixed time limits but life expectancy of less than three months may be considered an appropriate period.”

Dr Fraser’s report says: “Whether or not prognosis is more or less than three months, no specialist ‘would be willing to say’.”

Dr Fraser’s report, however, also contains a reference to the “opinion” of an unnamed doctor - thought to be a GP - who, says the report, “dealt with him (al-Megrahi) prior to, during and following the diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer”.

In other words, a doctor who was quite likely medically unqualified to give a diagnosis gave one that was awfully convenient in timing for releasing this terrorist and helping the UK with Libyan oil deals.

Having underqualified doctors handle the diagnosis of cancer patients - so much for the superiority of British government healthcare.

Update: The Smoking Gun has a copy of at least one of the medical reports recommending his release. (Thanks to Lagniappe's Lair for the email with the tip)

In the medical report are such gems such as Megrahi is not remorseful but "simply wishes to return home to be with his family, including his elderly mother," and he is feleing isolated religiously and culturally. Yes, really. Absolutely sickening.

More importantly, it states that specialists when asked "Whether or not prognosis is more or less than 3 months, no specialist "would be willing to say" but then has the unknown doctor stating that the prognosis is 3 months (see page 2 of the report).

More from The British are losing their minds file

After banning guns, banning swords and thinking of banning all sharp pointy objects, the Brits now propose to ban - Fire Extinguishers.

Yes, Really.

Extinguishers banned as a fire safety hazard

Fire extinguishers could be removed from communal areas in flats throughout the country because they are a safety hazard, it has emerged.

The life-saving devices encourage untrained people to fight a fire rather than leave the building, risk assessors in Bournemouth decided.
...
Dorset Fire and Rescue defended the move, saying: 'Obviously, in some cases, an extinguisher could come in useful but, with new building regulations, every escape route should be completely fireproof.'

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents backed their removal because different extinguishers should be used on different types of fire.

Inflammable Albion, we hardly knew ye.

hat tip - Commenters Joanna and Fast Richard at Tam's blog.

With security like this no wonder the Somali Pirates are having a field day

Once, Britannia ruled the waves, now British security gets rolled into the waves.

Somali pirates hijack ship, British guards escape

Somali pirates hijacked a chemical tanker with dozens of Indian crew members Friday and a helicopter rescued three British security guards who had jumped into the sea,

The British security for this chemical tanker was of course unarmed.

The company said it was aware of the incident on the chemical tanker it identified as M/V BISCAGLIA.

"We have been informed by coalition military authorities that three of our unarmed security staff were rescued from the water by a coalition helicopter and are currently on board a coalition warship in the Gulf of Aden," the company statement said.

Unarmed in pirated infested waters. That unarmed security certainly helped didn't it, must have been quite the deterrent effect eh?

What happened did they say "Stop or I'll say stop again?" and the Pirates responded by saying "Jump?".