Posted on 04/12/2009 3:37:39 PM PDT by fiodora
Congratulations all around to the daring warriors who rescued Captain Richard Phillips and captured one of his captors alive.
I am delighted that President Obama's team did not endlessly equivocate. I credit them with bringing the incident to a close. If they needed time to position assets and plan, I am glad they waited.
Update: Reports are that Captain Phillips jumped overboard again. Fragmentary reports suggest sharpshooters may have opened fire allowing him the escape. It is still unclear if there was an actual rescue operation launched
Further update: The head of Maersk just had a news conference ion Norfolk, and stated that a rescue operation approced by President Obama was involved. This is a very encouraging sign, if true.
Further update: Admiral Gortney, speaking from Bahrein to reporters at the Pentagon, just stated that there were standing orders allowing the Captain of the Bainbridge to take action if he saw that Captain Phillips' life was in imminent danger. When one or more AK 47s were pointed at Capt. Phillips, the Bainbridge acted. The Admiral stated that the sharpshooters were on board the Bainbridge when they fired. The Bainbridge was 25-35 meters away from the lifeboat at the time. The Admiral just confirmed that Capt. Phillips was tied up at the time.
It seems clear that the Obama administration deserves some credit for allowing the Bainbridge captain to take action if Capt. Phillips' life was in danger. It would have been hard to justify a ban on such action.
It also seems clear that the personnel on the spot, especially the sharpshooters on the fantail of the Bainbridge and her captain too, deserve our deep gratitude. American Special Forces are simply superb human beings, superbly trained. American military doctrine generally allows the commander on the spot considerable discretion, and it is clear that in this case, the wisdom of that approach was confirmed.
I remain concerned that the captured terrorist will be treated as a criminal defendant, with all the rights of discovery and other secret-busting apparatus that make criminal action inappropriate for terror groups. We know that he will not be subjected to any interrogation techniques that make him seriously uncomfortable.
I also suppose he will be provided a Koran, halaal meals, and (naturally) access to both left wing lawyers and Islamic clergy, whose conversations with him will be held beyond the reach of the good guys.
Phil Aver in an email raises the question of whether or not the captured Somali had his Miranda Rights read to him in a language he understands. If not, he probably walks.
Will Obuma be labeled a murderer...and possibly a child killer? If Bush had “authorized” this...there would have been major protests in European cities against American intervention in “Somalian High Seas Commerce”.
“standing orders allowing the Captain of the Bainbridge to take action if he saw that Captain Phillips’ life was in imminent danger. “
“It seems clear that the Obama administration deserves some credit for allowing the Bainbridge captain to take action if Capt. Phillips’ life was in danger. It would have been hard to justify a ban on such action. “
If those were the rules of engagement God help our sailors .
This is setting them up for another USS Cole incident.
To me this rule looks like having to fight with your hands tied behind your back. Our sailors were fired upon yesterday I can’t imagine the amount of restraint they had to have not to fire back . Truly this is a testament to how well they are trained .
God bless our troops
Why.
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2009/04/how-the-rescue-happened.html
HOW THE RESCUE HAPPENED
POSTED BY UNCLE JIMBO
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. Iti 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.
WASHINGTON (AP)—Administration officials say President Barack Obama approved the military operation that rescued a U.S. captain held hostage by Somali pirates.
The officials say Obama ordered the Defense Department to use military resources to rescue Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast.
He did affirm the military’s authorization to use force if the captain’s life was in danger, but they already would have had that authorization as part of their standard rules of engagement. If there are innocents about to be slaughtered the same reasoning that authorizes self defense also covers an imminent execution unless the ROE specifically forbid it.
The AP is making it sound like there was an active rescue ordered by the President. It was not, there was an imminent threat and the local commander gave the order to fire.
Good on Obama for ensuring their authorization was clear, but let’s also be clear that he did not authorize or order an active rescue attempt.
April 12, 2009
Bleep! - Why didn't he allow them to act on the first day? - Over-all, this operation stank badly!
I second that. I will always give credit where it is due. Thank you Lord for the steady hands and nerves of those beautiful sharpshooters, the faith of the Captain in those who would seek to protect him, and to President Obama, who understood, in at least this instance, negotiations are sometimes best from the muzzle of a gun. I only hope he understands from this exersize that one cannot negotiate with terrorists and madmen. Maybe this will help open, if only a little, some eyes........Prayers to all, especially the relieved family and friends of all involved.
BRAVO!! Easter Seals! Gotta love THAT!
Somebody give BO a cowboy hat. WE'RE ALL "COWBOYS" NOW!!! P!$$ on the Euro-Peons and their U.N.
This is the first time since November 4th, 2008 that I've been proud to be an American!
GO NAVY!
Yes, when its an Unamerican in the white HOuse.
Rahm? Is that you?
:)
That's sure what it looks like, and it bodes poorly for the future.
All that’s left now is for Obama to apologize to the pirates for the unnecessary violence and promise the senate will hold hearings to thoroughly investigate the military. /s
Wanna bet the NYT etal will be saying we used disporportiate force on Mon.
We don’t want our military to accidentally shoot any relatives of Obuma or “friends” of any of his advisers or staff that are over there “freedom fighting”...would we?
Wow, I had no idea...
One too few sharp shooters!
One cent for trial and prison is too much!
A shot through the Medulla oblongata or Pons, and the person shot just falls over without pulling the trigger. Not a hard shot at 25-35 yards; but from the deck of a ship?
“Truly this is a testament to how well they are trained .
God bless our troops”
THE TROOPS commander-zero INHERITED???
That's the guy that deserves the cigar.
Happy Easter Seals!!!!
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