Posted on 04/12/2009 8:19:45 PM PDT by Nachum
Sorry libs. Obama did not give the direct order to kill the Somali pirates. You'll have to wait another day for the cut-and-runner to earn his hero badge. Blackfive has the real story:
I just finished listening to the press conference w/ ADM Gortney about the rescue of Captain Phillips. At the time it happened the USS Bainbridge was towing the lifeboat to calmer waters as the sea state was deteriorating. One of the pirates was on board the Bainbridge as the talks about obtaining Phillip's release continued. The lifeboat was approx. 25 m behind the Bainbridge when snipers on the fantail observed one of the pirates in the pilot house of the lifeboat pointing an AK-47 at the back of a tied up Phillips and the other two pirates on board were visible (at least shoulders and heads). The standing authority gave them clearance to engage the pirates if the life of the captain was in imminent danger. The on scene commander deemed this to be true and gave the order to fire. All three bad guys were taken out and then a rigid inflatable boat went to the lifeboat to retrieve Phillips. It is unknown at this point whether the shooters were SEALs or Marine Scout Snipers as both would have been available.
This was not a rescue attempt ordered by National Command Authority i.e. the President. It was a reaction by the on scene commander under standard authority to safeguard the life of a hostage.
The AP is reporting that President Obama gave the order to use military force to rescue the hostage, that is misleading. They want so desperately for the community organizer to become a real hero.
More... They were pointing their weapons at the captain. Reuters reported:
"They were pointing the AK-47s at the captain," Vice Adm. William Gortney, head of the U.S. Naval Central Command, said in a Pentagon briefing from Bahrain.
Gortney also said Washington had rejected negotiations with the pirates. "The United States government policy is to not negotiate," he said.
Read the article. Bozo didn't give the order, ever. The order to take out the terrorists if the hostage is in danger is a standing order and one Bozo probably was not aware of. The Captain of the Bainbridge acted on his own authority and of course the left is trying to make it appear Bozo ordered it.
If Bozo authorized force then why did he send in the FBI to negotiate and make noises about arresting them and putting them on trial? The answer is, he didn't authorize the shootings or any use of force because he thought we could talk them to death.
...nitpicking are we?
My point was, Obama didn’t have to give an order. He was briefed on the situation and updated. If there was something he absolutely forbid, they would have been told.
Possible that the tow was for that reason, partially.
Also, the act of towing, alone, could make the life boat less “bouncy” on the waves, if done correctly. At least, the boat would always be a fixed distance away from the ship, in relative terms, and the aspect or angle would be predetermined by how the tow line was anchored.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
His life would not have been worth a plugged nickle if he came back to PI after he stabbed us in the back.
Wonder what the heck was really going on....?
See if some others have any idea....
The correct word on this forum is:
borrowed
LOL!
Sounds fair to me. We should kill them all.
I thought the one who suggested that the perps be towed out of rough Water was a brain storm, it probably make the Boat a little more stable so the Snipers would get a better shot.
Wonder when the Navy got/gave the authorization to allow the SEALS to do their job.
I’m not an Obama fan, but LBJ would have turned his back like with the Puelbo, Liberty and other undocumented instances.
Carter would have micromanaged the op into a total disaster.
Clintoon would have had a camel destroyed by missiles while being consoled by a Lewinski
I believe some refer to that kind of thing as “sarcasm”.
I see some hypocrisy here. Can’t torture a terrorist to save a city. But you can kill three pirates to save a sailor????
________________________________
Apparently our policy is - do whatever polls well on any given day.
LOL.
Careful, you’ll snag someone else with that comment.
That’s my fear. :)
If he would only do this about everything. The best thing Obama could do for this country right now is just nothing.
we said he could not do it but Obama succeeded in doing it.
Obama has demonstrated he CAN vote “present” in the middle of a crisis.
The MSM (including FNC) misdirection and censorship by selection on this story is pathetic.
Thanks - will read with interest.
The jackal can do no good, ever, in any way.
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