“deploying SWAT teams to all drilling platforms? To conduct “inspections”?!? WTF....”
Ummm, I don’t think you’re talking about the same kind of SWAT teams the government is talking about. My suspicion is that there is a bit of hyperbole on the part of the government. A law enforcement SWAT team does not have the ability to inspect a rig. Frankly, neither does the government as there are precious few bureaucrats with rig experience. What I believe the government is talking about is a group of bureaucrats that have to put in an appearance in the gulf area for a photo op. The political class needs to look like they are doing something useful, instead of getting in the way. The hyperbole comes in with their nomenclature. Given that they are worthless in a situation like this, they have to project an “illusion of authority”. A fast reaction force of DC bureaucrats that an get their picture taken is what is called for, and what better moniker to hang on them than “SWAT Team”. It doesn’t matter that the acronym probably doesn’t even fit. They can figure that out later.
Granted, they are as useless as a real SWAT team would be on the water. It’s just that the government desperate to appear worthwhile in this crisis. It doesn’t have to make sense, but in a crisis Washington seldom does.
See if I’m not correct.
Do a little more research before you get so consternated.
You are right, one of the things I bang my head against a wall about in all this. The SWAT teams being sent to the Gulf aren’t police; "SWAT team" is apparently a term of art used to describe mineral inspectors who are checking blow-out preventers on rigs across the region. (Hot Air is the only source I found who actually researched this and found out the truth.) I don't doubt that the Administration capitalized on the pop culture reference of SWAT to make people think he was sending police, but in reality, it was just some specialized engineers.