[thinkthenpost]

Yes absolutely the Clinton administration was the administration during the Cole bombing, and Reagan during Beirut. I am sure the Pentagon was supportive and behind the Beirut mission but the folks responsible for the rules of engagement were idiots. Yemen basically was brought along too quickly I believe but I don't think patience was ever a virtue for his administration. The sorry thing here is it looks like we haven't learned anything it all comes down to politics. The folks on the ground were hamstrung in Beirut, in Somalia, on the Cole, one of the crappiest feelings is standing watch with nothing available if something happens, or even worse, having an arm and no ammo. Politics beat out the DOD's wishes quite often, in this case it beat out plain common sense.

[processing please hold]

Pentagon was supportive

There ya go. The Pentagon isn't always right.

Politics beat out the DOD's wishes quite often, in this case it beat out plain common sense.

Yes it did. And look how many of our dear military men paid the price for that miscalculation with their lives.