Suppose a director general (roughly colonel equivalent) in the federal public service--say in the high-stress finance department--were arrested and so charged. Would our media be engaging in the full-court press they are now putting on the case of Col. Russ Williams?
Would they be asking questions about psychological evaluations ('The generals hand the air force chief a list of recommendations after an “extensive file review.” That review does not typically include a psychological assessment...')? Do they think Air Force transport pilots (the official biography stupidly deleted here) are somehow trained killers just waiting to explode?
It's a helluva story. But f...... upchuck with our media's anti-military, hurl-making, stinking, AGENDA.
Update: The agenda, Globeite in this case, in action:
Murder charges may unfairly tarnish military's reputationThat John Ibbitson, the Globe and Mail's ("Canada's National Newspaper") Ottawa news bureau chief and at the same strange time a columnist, can write such a thing without any honest characterization of St. Steve is flipping dishonest, er, journalism. But who's a real journalist these days?
Canadians must differentiate between actions of one senior official [er, officer, you idjit] and Canadian Forces as a whole, observers say
...
“This is what Canadians will be watching for: will the military close ranks around this, as perhaps we've seen in the past, or will they openly co-operate” with the investigation, said Steven Staples, president of the Rideau Institute, an Ottawa think-tank that examines, among other things, the military and defence policy...
Perhaps the Globe might just cease fire (Mr Staples' true love) on the Canadian Forces. Mr Ibbitson's piece concludes with true, unqualified, crap from Mr Staples:
“This man was part of the elite, the inner circle,” Mr. Staples observed. That elite is exposed and vulnerable, too.
Count the colonels (and Navy captains, to repeat). Some "inner circle".
I don't know this guy in any matter whatsoever but the media ballyhoo has a suspicious odour to it.
Perhaps it is the media's noble reputation for non-partisan "journalism"......
One would expect the constabulary to have their ducks in a row.....but then.....
That said one of the characteristics of successful long period serial criminals is intelligence, charm and attention to detail...IMHO.
Unsophistocated, drifters are the exception not the rule....IMHO.
The same media that didn't give a [darn] about Dr Nidal Hassan and his lengthy list of "warning signs" that were ignored out of p.c. fear.
They're also milking the photos of him with McKay. Although I was 2% impressed with Tuesday's Red Star not running one on the front page, although they did so on the inside.
ah, andycanuck beats me to it.
If Col. Russ Williams was really on his game, he'd have converted to islam and be done with it.
... and from that moment, it would be our misunderstanding that led to the "problem at hand".
And suddenly a nation of professional military morale experts come out of the media tapestry. Amazing!
New Lieberal Party attack add: ...homocidal soldiers breaking in your homes...
You go Iggy!
I have no argument with the idea that the media are anti-military, but this story isn't much of a case of that. As a society we expect a lot of our military officers, because (unlike in the civil service) there is a code of honour associated with the services, and officers in particular are expected to be honourable men par excellence. Hence, a moral scandal involving an officer is more of a scandal than one involving a bureaucrat. This story wouldn't be any less of a story -- indeed, it may be even more of a story -- somewhere with a more robust military tradition, such as the US.
I might buy that this particular individual is a predator but I wouldn't believe it is indicative of the military, nor would I expect some sort of cover-up. It has annoyed me that the press is seeing some sort of angle here. Had this been the incident at Fort Hood, well...
mark....you screwed up in assuming anybody in the gubermint would be arrested and exposed for their crimes.If so...we would have no gubermint(which is not a bad thing).Otherwise every politico from Diefinbaker to the Cretin to Harper would be on trail or in jail.The laws are for us plebes only,not the elites.
Oh...and pscychlogically(sp)....any of us who have more then two brain cells to rub together are capable of killing somebody to protect our loved ones...the only diff between us and the pscyhos..we will later regret we had to do it....but we will know we were right to do it.Just ask your wife standing beside you,instead of giving the euolgy at her funeral.
Remember that Steven Truscotte as a 16 year old was convicted and sentenced to death for a murder that was probably committed by a soldier.
As a serving army officer, I'm having a real case of cognitive dissonance over this - and I'm surely not the only one. I cannot reconcile the idea that a man who went through the same basic officer training as I, holds the same Queen's commission, attended the same staff college, spent years immersed in the same ethos of service, of duty and of honour could be a psychopath. The man was a commanding officer, for cripes sake.
To have arrested this man, the police surely have enough evidence to make the charges stick, and a guy just doesn't wake up at 46, with a full colonel's stripes and goes on a full Dexter. So I can only conclude that this guy may well have managed to serve like a top notch officer while committing horrific crimes. How the heck does someone manage that - psychologically speaking? This isn't one of life's losers like a Bernardo, but a senior leader! Just doesn't compute...
*smoke coming out of Tanker's ears*
I thought I had read the newspaper reports quite well but obviously not as thoroughly as other posters. I have not seen any anti-military bias and would be as likely to as anyone else.
Neither are they milking the photo with McKay in my opinion, and I do wonder at how quickly paranoia has broken out among the SDA posters.
This is a tragedy for all the families involved, the small community in shock, as well as the military family.
The Toronto Sun broke with the interview and it was done very well. No tabloid sensationalism.
I'll scream when I see the bias as well, but this is a bit ridiculous.
I noticed too that the CO's bio at the 8 Wing (Trenton) site has been taken down since yesterday as well. It was still there around 8:00 pm yesterday. However, I did a screen capture when there...
I suppose if much of the media had their way, they would find some way to prove all Col's are psycopaths. (I got out in time! Two more promotions and it could have been me! Ha-ha)
(Major, Army Logistics, retired)
I'm kind of with tanker on this. This a hard one to get your head around. As a former military I realize that some officers can be asshats but this looks like a plot from Criminal Minds on TV. This guy is a real Jekyll & Hyde. the details should be interesting if not frightening.
Oh, btw, insert the word "alleged" in all the appropriate spots.
He's the freaking base commander. You expect the media to report the story on A14 for a day and then leave it alone?
I agree with gellen. I'm not seeing bias here. This guy, if guilty, seems to be a full-blown sexual predator and that doesn't happen in an "oops" moment. This is right up there with asking about how an islamist goes undetected in the US military until he kills people.
How DOES a sociopath manage to go undetected in the Canadian military? Not only undetected, but have a quite successful career while raping, torturing and murdering the people he has sworn to protect?
I think that's a valid news story...
As a serving military officer, I would hope that they bust this guy down to the rank of no hook private so I will never ever have to salute him. Unlike that other colonel who was charged with embezzlement--and busted "down" to lieutenant-colonel...I guess you can steal from the taxpayers and the military will forgive you for all your years of "good" service. I figure once a thief always has been a thief.
Close ranks? Indeed!
The most dangerous thing to an officer's life and career is not the enemy, but rather his own commander. Being a poor performer just means you have to suck up more to get promoted. A DUI or beating your wife will end your career. Murder is highly frowned upon.
Many commanders keep tallies of the number of junior officers they've sacked. If this guy had ranks closed around him, we never would have heard of this story. There would have been 30 witnesses saying they saw him playing darts at the Officer's Club at the time of the murders, assaults, and when Michael Jackson died.
Soldiers gossip like old ladies drinking Darjeeling in the parlor. Nothing is kept secret for long. Military prosecutors are very conservative - they wouldn't arrest someone without ironclad evidence.
This guy was a Decepticon First Class - classic case of malignant narcissism.
When we receive awards, they state that our service brings "great credit to [ourselves], our unit, and [our service]". The same is true when someone in the Corps does something dishonorable; it brings shame to all of us regardless of whether we could have or should have known. The Officer Corps is a self-policing organization. It was our job to teach this man honor. We failed. That's a verdict we impose on ourselves. The liberals and mass media can go $&%* themselves for their opinions on the matter.
I agree with those who do not see media bias here. It is a shocking story -- particularly because of the disconnect between an accomplished military man and a sexual criminal. Everyone I know -- most of whom don't pay a lot of attention to military stuff -- is just stunned. Perhaps because we do consider military personnel to be leaders -- certainly more so then bureaucrats. This is a big story and I do not think the media are exploiting it.
I was about to make a tongue-in-cheek comment about the "Military Ethics" courses that have been rammed down our throats in the last decade...guess Col Williams missed those classes. I would bet there are aircrew who have served with this guy that could point to a few questionable things he has done on "away" trips..but didn't because "what happens away stays away".
IF he is more than a suspect, I wonder if he has other victims as a predator?
For example, young female jr officers being told they would not get promoted unless they...
You figure it out.
I think the military people commenting here show a much greater conception of ethics and morality than our media. Or most of the rest of us.
Mark
Ottawa
I'm actually not too bothered with the content of the reporting per se. As has been pointed out here, a colonel and a base commander charged with two murders? Yes, that's more than newsworthy (though I agree, the reference to "psychological evaluations" was simply crap of the highest order).
The real problem is that our media is just plain dumb as hammers when it comes to the military - plain dumb in a way you just don't see in many other countries where even the strongest critics of the military at least have a good understanding of its workings.
As a retired officer myself, I find it's the little details (or lack of attention to them) that gradually wear on me. I don't mind the cub reporter from the Podunk Daily Farm News sounding a bit lame, it's when the "national heavy-hitters" at CBC and CTV come up with dopey-sounding stuff.
Examples include calling an airman a "soldier" or stating that the murdered corporal was one of the colonel's "officers".*
And because Col Williams was Commander 8 Wing, that has created untold confusion; he's been reported as "Wing Commander Williams" or, worse still, "Commander Williams".
Tip to reporters: if you want to sound like you have a shred of credibility, get the terminology straight.
As far as Steven Staples goes, the kindest thing we can do is probably just to ignore him. He seems to suffer from some sort of intellectual Tourette's syndrome and just can't help himself from making sudden incoherent outbursts.
* Akin to saying a medical orderly at a hospital is "one of the chief surgeon's doctors".
Mark, the Canadian media, except for some notable exceptions, is agenda-driven. What is chosen for broadcast and print overkill and what is essentially ignored depends on how the topic will benefit or detract from their goals.
JJM: The thing is St. Steve is one of the media's go to guys. And readers or viewers do not know what a piece of work he is.
The sad thing is our reporters care not a whit about their credibility in terms of those who know a bit about the subject. They care only for the quick, and increasingly ignorant, hit. See Mr Ibbitson. But, oops! he's also a columnist. Cheap Canadian media destroying any real journalism
Mark
Ottawa
On my local newscast, Global Toronto reporter Jennifer Palisoc stated that "...this is a scandal that is rocking the Canadian military."
How is this a "scandal"? Moreover, how is this "rocking" the Canadian military? Williams is alleged to have commited these heinous crimes, his military credentials are irreleavnt, except for the sociopathic angle of how someone could have fooled so many for so long. But I fail to see where the "scandal" here lies.
I don't know what's more shocking, Ibbitson's column - the fact that he would even write that, or that it would get past the editors at the G&M - or the commenters here who don't see his piece for the vile, utterly specious piece of crap that it is.
If Williams was a Liberal politician, would Ibbitson be writing "murder charges against Colonel Russell Williams could damage the reputation of the Liberal Party of Canada"? If it was a doctor, would Ibbitson write that the charges "could damage the reputation of physicians," or suggest that physicians might be off the hook provided that they do X and Y in the coming weeks?
Ughh.
"They're also milking the photos of him with MacKay." - andycanuck
Yep,and on CBC too: last night, immediately as Peter Mansbridge began his coverage, there was in the background as he spoke a lengthy (ten-second) slo-mo of the accused talking to Peter MacKay. The image was stretched out widthwise - maybe a 2.5 to 1 aspect ratio - to include MacKay. There's zero justification for that, it's a sickening, thinly-disguised smear-job.
Ibbitson: "There are too many pictures of Col. Williams with people like Defence Minister Peter MacKay. 'This man was part of the elite, the inner circle,' (Steven) Staples observed. That elite is exposed and vulnerable too.'"
What an absolute, transparent joke. Steven Staples, who is one of the CBC's go-to guys they use whenever they want to criticize or undermine the mission, is a worm. To use the murder to two young women as an opportunity smear the armed forces is appalling. And he says others are "exposed" and "vulnerable" as a consequence of the murders. *How so*? In what revolting partisan universe does the private action of an alleged murderer "expose" others in the same profession? How about Williams' neighbours - are they "exposed" too? How about his wife?
Ibbitson should be ashamed. That's probably the most cowardly, specious, sickening pieces of journalism I've ever read. Just morally septic. As for Steven Staples, it's long been evident that he's just a partisan little errand-boy in Italian frames. He's like Eric Margolis without the conviction. No wonder he's cited as an "analyst" by the CBC and by Ibbitson.
Slime.
I served under four Lieutenant Colonels during my service years and only had one that was an ass hat. One of the four went on to become a B. Gen. and most likely would gone further but died of heart issues. We would have gone to hell and back for him.
Something like this??? Can't imagine, don't know what to say, except to agree with JJM, media, get the terminology straight.
Tanker, ditto except *smoke coming out of foxhound's ears*
Let the law take its' course.
Socio/psychopaths often pick high risk occupation, not all are murderers;however a very large percentage hold high risk professions, be it a criminal (certainly high risk, skydiver, pilot, race car or any extreme sport, CEO's, and stockbrokers etc. Socio/psychopaths are ideal in these "occupations" given their absence of fear (or any emotion), intelligence, calculatedness and, most of all, on the surface: calm, cool, controlled, and charming, but their coolness or seeming control has nothing to do with character, but everything to do with manipulation, and deceit...waiting for the perfect moment to pounce and indulge in their predatory nature. The vampires of the world.
This is an important story that needs to be covered.
As a former serving member, I share the revulsion of many posters here when it comes to media fluff and sensationalism regarding what is in reality one of our most diverse national institutions.
I will be keeping an eye out for commentary from writers whom I actually respect, such as Christie Blatchford of the Globe and Mail (go back to the Post Christie!), and I plan to minimize my exposure to the usual lame-stream media networks.
EBD
I completely agree with your post...well written! Please sent it to that Pr@#k Ibbetson. IMO what he wrote is a new low...even for him!
Tanker...you have got to be kidding.Because this clown went to RMC and has a Queen's commission,he is above reproach? Guess what? I have a Queens commission too,although I started out as a private.And worked through the ranks.I also have a set of wings,which nobody but the Queen herself can remove from me. Silver spoon officers like yourself got fragged in Nam,and with good reason.This aboration that sucked,blew or f&*ked his way to 4 yellow stripes is NOT an example of a good military person,but of some political jackass who managed to some how sneak through.
Tell me,Tanker,who are/were the most important people in your unit?The officers sitting in the bar,or the grunts send out by said officers(and I use the term officers loosely)? Don't know about you,but the most important to me was the buck private who had been there,done it,and was saving my ass because they knew where the bear shit in the woods.
As they say,there are who do because they can,and those who pretend to do,because they can't,and those are the most dangerous.
EBD
You have said exactly what needed to be said - Thank-you for writing that post - the horrible, wormy feeling about the credibility of this story has been nagging at my 'msm alert' screen ever since it broke. The bottom feeders at msm are in a frenzy snapping and snarling at their audience; I instantly respond by wondering: what is their real motive? Certainly not any form of Justice for anyone, since Justice is not an agenda item of Canada's msm.
The fact that the msm have refused to report on the crime, fraud, lies and corruption exposed by bloggers and Fox News in the Climategate scandal and the fact that they continue to promote the LIE, should make anyone with a iota of intelligence question anything and everything these people pump out of who knows where, IMO.
That fact remains, at this point no one knows whether this man is guilty or innocent. I, for one, am certainly not judging the entire Canadian Military because of one officer who many or may not be guilty of a crime. I agree that the MSM is making the most of this "opportunity" to paint the entire military as violent and sadistic. Could just as easily have been a stockbroker, police officer or a politician(liberal of course).
Just read Ibbitson's opinion piece.
GARBAGE.
That fact remains, at this point no one knows whether this man is guilty or innocent. I, for one, am certainly not judging the entire Canadian Military because of one officer who many or may not be guilty of a crime. I agree that the MSM is making the most of this "opportunity" to paint the entire military as violent and sadistic. Could just as easily have been a stockbroker, police officer or a politician (liberal of course).
Why is it that the public is gobsmacked when a high achiever falls from grace?
High wire acts are what they do best.
No military person is going to "close ranks" with a murderer and rapist.
MB
A high ranking member of the DND engaging in anti-social behaviour -- I think that's the second possible case in my recent experience, now what was that other one? Something about similar initials ...
I'm with most of the commenters here--I don't really see the media bias.
I live in Belleville. On January 29, just one day after Jessica Lloyd went missing, there were pictures in every single store. You have never seen such a coordinated effort to find anybody. My father-in-law runs a trucking company, and he had her picture on all his trucks within a week. Everybody was trying to find her.
And then we learn that it was Williams. He is not just "another Colonel". He is the head of the largest air base in Canada. I know so many people at the air base who are absolutely stunned and devastated. My husband is a doctor, and on Monday, when the news hit, patient after patient from Trenton came in just stunned and rocked to the core.
Military personnel take honour very seriously. And now someone has broken it in the worst way possible. I wouldn't say they are closing ranks; I would say that they are devastated, and it is a big deal. You should see what is happening in this community.
Think, too, that Marie-France Comeau, who died in November in Brighton, was given a military funeral (I had friends presiding over it). This guy was probably there, representing the base. That is just sick.
The base right now is so busy; They've sent thousands to Haiti, and others to Afghanistan. It's as busy there right now as it ever has been. And then this hits. It's not just a little story.
I hope the media writes about how the military is coping with it, and how they are continuing their amazing job in Haiti despite this. But don't downplay how serious it is to my community or to the military personnel there. Church services this Sunday are probably going to be mostly dedicated to this story as the military personnel try to come to grips with it (especially since one of the murdered women was one of their own).
"The Officer Corps is a self-policing organization."
I almost snorted my tea out through my nose on that one.
Now, what was the unofficial motto of RMC again?
I happened to watch Mark Kelly intervewing Terry Malewski just as the arrest had been announced.
The first comment out of his mouth (Kelly) was that this was a PR disaster for the military.
This, yet again, confirmed my opinion of journalists
i.e. they are the scum of the earth.
"Justthinkin":
Your silly screed was, in its own very special way, just as much a diatribe as anything Steven Staples might come up with.
SheilaG @ 7:50 AM
I'm with most of the commenters here--I don't really see the media bias.
I said to my wife last night that the media had already convicted this guy.
Apparently Sheila bought their hype.
If this guy is guilty hanging is to good for him, but (and I have little use for the legal industry) he needs his day in court first.
Reporting on crime is important but hype, especially as I see here, is just latin for lazyness.
Ah yes lame stream media doing what it does best spreading propaganda tarted up as news, hypocrites write fluff piece on Khadr lamenting rule of law rule of law whilst smearing our troops any chance they get. Boycotte the Globe, I have and it's satisfying knowing their numbers could shrink by half if our Military and their supporters boycotte all forms of biased MSM outlets. Why give him a trial just take him out and shoot him aye MSM?
SheilaG @7:50 said "I wouldn't say they are closing ranks; I would say that they are devastated, and it is a big deal."
This is how I feel, devastated. As I said earlier, let the law takes its' course.
While I haven't watched any news videos of this story, I have noticed there are a hell of a lot of pictures of Col Williams include Peter MacKay. For a person of such rank and position not to have a vast library of stock photos available is very unlikely. I figure leftoid editors are using the Williams/Min of Defense pairing as a subtle cheap shot at the Tories.
This is certainly a big scandal, but it will make absolutely no difference to the operation of the armed forces. The Armed Forces are very hierarchical. Almost everyone in a leadership position is capable of doing the job of the next level of the chain of command and in a lot of cases the job two levels up. It has to be that way so that the organization can still function when people start dying.
The old base commander will be gone, a new one will fill his place and the operation of the base will continue as if nothing had happened.
The case that is, I suspect bad for morale is the court martial of Capt Semrae (spell?, the guy in the mercy killing being sold as murder). That directly affects the day to day business of every soldier in Afstan.
Minuteman
Capt (ret) Armoured Corps and EME
Serves you guys right. The Globe And Mail is written by idiots for other idiots!
Similiarly, some ex military guy dunked his kid and the press jumped all over him claiming that he was water boarding his toddler, and that gawd only knows how many others of 'em are doing it.
Sheesh. Our syphallitic 'journalists' should be water boarded for the crap they write, and a few should be tied into chairs and beaten to death with a lead pipe.
Really fellas, those quacks wouldn't write that chit if you didn't read it. The best thing we can do is encourage these dinosauers to go the way of their ancestors.
Hey Justthinkin': Col Williams did NOT go to RMC. He was a graduate of the University of Toronto. He attended Command and Staff College, which is also in Toronto, upon graduation from staff college he earned a Masters Degree from RMC--which you can do by doing the course work while in staff college in Toronto. He was never an RMC grad. Who knows if Williams actually attended RMC he might have been kicked out of the military when he was an officer cadet vice a colonel--his proclivities may have been brought to light a lot sooner since he would have been under scrutiny from the minute he entered the College grounds as a recruit.