[Dubya]

The guided-missile destroyer USS Cole arrives in Naples, Italy, for a scheduled port call while deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility, Feb. 23, 2010.

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class William Pittman

[Dubya]

Military Sealift Command’s fleet ocean tug USNS Catawba tows the USS Cole from the port city of Aden, Yemen, Oct. 29, 2000, after a terrorist attack that caused the ship heavy damage and killed 17 sailors.

U.S. Marine Corps photo

[Ax]

Nobody has ever been able to explain to me why Cole was directed to Aden for replenishing. Aden has long been an area that was hostile to the west. Djibouti can’t be more than 100 miles from Aden, and U S Warships have put in there before. Djibouti is a safe port for replenishing, guarded by the French. I suppose that the then-Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, had something to do with that.