Writer of TV’s Homeland calls for ban on live target practice by British Army

By ALEX DIAZ
Published on 10/12/2012 00:46

THE award-winning creator of hit TV show Homeland has written to the Defence Secretary protesting against the British Army’s participation in medical training involving live pigs shot by marksmen.

Gideon Raff – the former Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) paratrooper behind the espionage thriller, which counts President Barack Obama among its fans – urged Philip Hammond to switch to more “humane and 
effective” practices.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) last month said it stood by sending British Army surgeons to take part in the drills, claiming they helped save lives.

Formerly known as “Operation Danish Bacon”, the training sees pigs shot with high-powered rifles and then operated on during a training course in 
Denmark.

In the letter, addressed directly to Mr Hammond via email, Mr Raff said he was joining a campaign against the practice by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta).

“Caring for the wellbeing of animals and preparing the troops serving our countries are not mutually exclusive,” he wrote. “In this case, sparing animals pain and death in training drills means that military personnel receive better medical training and ultimately better care if they are wounded on the battlefield.”

The MoD argued that by participating in the Danish exercises they were minimising the number of animals involved.

But in his letter, Mr Raff backed Peta’s call for the use of lifelike dolls that “breathe” and “bleed” to replace live animals.