I must confess to a faint sense of surprise when the name of the "Royal Navy Sub Shooter" was released and it was Ryan Donovan and not Amir Khan.
I apologize to any Muslim readers, but you've gotta admit that, here of late, if a troopie goes nuts and starts mowing down his mates, your money's pretty safe if you wager he was yelling "Allahu Akhbar!" while he was doing it.
(As a side note, that HMS Astute is a pretty sexy little attack sub, there...)
While looking at names, it is perhaps notable that he had previously changed his name (by deed poll a UK legal device) to "Reggie Moondogg".
ReplyDeleteThe Daily Mail quotes MP Patrick Mercer saying "Should the fact that he changed his name to Reggie Moondogg not have given cause for concern ? "
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375551/HMS-Astute-shooting-Ryan-Donovan-appears-court-accused-murder.html#ixzz1JDSJDpJn
Patrick (in the UK)
Don't think he's gonna make the concert...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.myspace.com/reggiemoondogg
On another side note, I surprisingly have to give credit to the politicians that were involved.
ReplyDelete"the gunman was overpowered by Southampton City Council leader Royston Smith, 46 – a former RAF mechanic who served in the Falklands.
Southampton Mayor Carol Cunio, 72, gave emergency first aid to Lt-Cmdr Hodge, by using her hand to stem the blood before medics arrived."
Not something I normally expect out of political types.
(As a side note, that HMS Astute is a pretty sexy little attack sub, there...)
ReplyDeleteI don't see what's so great about it, it's just a long, hard, black... oh, nevermind.
I had the same thoughts as Tam, expecting the name to have Mohammed someplace in it. We were at the monthly Subvets dinner when I read about it, and on finding out that the kid's name was Donovan, my first comment to my husband was, "I didn't think the IRA was still active."
ReplyDeleteI totally had a 'Hunt for Red October' flashback when I saw the name of the shooter. Don't know why, but it does seem to be Tom Clancy material.
ReplyDeleteBut, but, guns make mass killers invincible!
ReplyDelete"Smith told the BBC: "He had a magazine with 30 rounds in it so I took the view that someone had to stop him.
"At some point I decided that the best form of defence was to try to disarm him. I guess I'm lucky he did not hit me."
"He fired again while I had hold of the weapon. I had a strange feeling. I was not sure if I'd been hit - it didn't hurt - but I wasn't thankfully."
Smith, a former member of the Royal Air Force (RAF), pushed the gunman to the ground and prised the weapon from his grasp. "
And the ethnically corrected cry is
ReplyDelete"Jayzus!"
I'd be interested in finding out how/where he got the weapon - unless it belonged to the security tam on board the boat.
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:05,
ReplyDelete"unless it belonged to the security tam on board the boat."
It was an SA80; he was the security team on the boat.
Well, the Brits and the other Euros like to go for "sexy LITTLE Attack Boats". But if ever want to get to ride on a Full Length, Manly Attack Boat that has Long Endurance, you have to go the U.S. Navy. Size does matter. ; )
ReplyDelete"your money's pretty safe if you wager he was yelling "Allahu Akhbar!" while he was doing it."
ReplyDeleteYep... I think most people were betting on Haji, too.
But there is always one in the crowd who does win the bet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n026q75iOjg#t=45s
"Well, the Brits and the other Euros like to go for "sexy LITTLE Attack Boats". But if ever want to get to ride on a Full Length, Manly Attack Boat that has Long Endurance, you have to go the U.S. Navy. Size does matter. ; )"
ReplyDeleteThe Brits managed alright in the remote Falklands. Popped an ex US cruiser.
The US now builds extended length boats that carry mini subs, seals and God knows what else. Also cost more than even we can afford. Think I'd rather have 2 or 3 small boats under my command rather than one large one, since what comes out of the tubes is all the same size anyway.
BubbleheadLes,
ReplyDeleteThe Astute class probably feels bigger than it is, since it's an SSN on which nobody has to hot-rack. :D
HMS Astute displaces more than the SSN 688 Los Angeles class subs of the US Navy. The older Royal Navy nuclear subs are comparable to US nuclear subs.
ReplyDeleteCurtious...how'd you pick the name of Amir Khan? I used to have a guy named Amir Kahn working for me---5 or 6 years ago.
ReplyDeleteDecent C++ programmer. He was born in Islamabad, PK. Most of his family lived everywhere except in Pakistan.
He was also a .real boozer.
But if ever want to get to ride on a Full Length, Manly Attack Boat that has Long Endurance, you have to go the U.S. Navy.
ReplyDeleteThey're chock full of seamen, too!
Heh.
ReplyDeleteI just realized that I assumed loren was Bubblehead Les. :D