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Defense secretary: Killed Somali pirates were "untrained" teenagers ("No Military Solution")
China View ^ | 4/13/2009 | Mu Xuequan

Posted on 04/13/2009 3:27:57 PM PDT by tobyhill

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Monday that three Somali pirates who were killed by the Navy's Seals to end a hostage crisis were "untrained" teenagers.

Addressing an audience at the Marine Corps War College in Quantico, Virginia, Gates said that the slain pirates, aged at between 17 to 19, were heavily armed but inexperienced.

They were shot dead on Sunday at the end of a five-day standoff with the U.S. military after they attacked a U.S.-flagged cargo ship about 400 kilometers away from Somali and held an American captain as hostage.

"As long as you've got this incredible number of poor people and the risks are relatively small, there's really no way in my view to control it unless you get something on land that begins to change the equation for these kids," Gates told students and faculty members.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.xinhuanet.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: antiamerican; ashoura; bho44; bhodod; bhosecdef; hateamericafilth; liberals; maritime; pirates; quantico; robertgates; rop; somalipirates; trop
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To: tobyhill

I predicted they would turn out to be children. While the media has been slobbering over how Obama handled this, he actually has not taken alot of credit himself...just praised the military, FBI, etc.

He knew all along that they were probably children...and his authorizing the killing of black muslim children in his ‘neck of the woods’ does nothing for his international reputation (important to him) or the safety of his very own family members in the region. He is probably seething mad that it ended this way.


81 posted on 04/13/2009 3:55:36 PM PDT by lacrew (Obama and cabinet: Fool and the Gang)
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To: tobyhill
GMAFB.

Gate continued, stating, "Our nation and our society owes a debt to pirates. The exotic bird hubandry of the pirates knows no equal. Similarly, Pirates have given us great technological advances in medical field with their pioneering use of artificial limbs, even specializing in the use of renewable products for such limbs... And Pirates have found more uses for the letter "R" in speech than any other people . . . We must acknowledge and repay these debts."


82 posted on 04/13/2009 3:55:53 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan (Beware Obama's Reichstag Fire.)
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To: tobyhill
"As long as you've got this incredible number of poor people and the risks are relatively small, there's really no way in my view to control it unless you get something on land that begins to change the equation for these kids," Gates told students and faculty members.

Is everyone in the Federal government insane?
What is this doofus suggesting? Put Somali criminals into the US welfare system? Grant them all Social Security benefits?

What?

83 posted on 04/13/2009 3:56:08 PM PDT by Publius6961 (Change is not a plan; Hope is not a strategy.)
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To: tobyhill

Over 10% of active duty grunts in the United States are ages 17-19.


84 posted on 04/13/2009 3:57:10 PM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: lacrew

Drivel. How many of the US Navy sailors were 18 and 19?

They are not children.


85 posted on 04/13/2009 3:57:23 PM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . John Galt hell !...... where is Francisco dÂ’Anconia)
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To: tobyhill
As long as you've got this incredible number of poor people and the risks are relatively small, there's really no way in my view to control it unless you get something on land that begins to change the equation for these kids," Gates told students and faculty members.

The risks aren't so small now, are they?

86 posted on 04/13/2009 3:59:31 PM PDT by TankerKC (Revenge and Envy--the new Principles of Freerepublic?)
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To: OneWingedShark

Well, maybe these Teaparties are a good start. But I am not too enthused. The people in DC are about as removed from the rest of the USA as ever.
By Electing Obama, this country is staring into the abyss.


87 posted on 04/13/2009 4:00:24 PM PDT by Yorlik803 ( If this be treason, then lets make the best of it.)
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To: slumber1

Ya think that if Gates recommends it, Obama might invade Somalia?


88 posted on 04/13/2009 4:01:43 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Beat a better path, and the world will build a mousetrap at your door.)
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To: rightwingextremist1776

Obviously they needed “stimulus” and “community orgainizing.”
Then they could help destroy our constitutional republic along with Rahm and the One.


89 posted on 04/13/2009 4:02:07 PM PDT by AmericanVictory (Should we be more like them or they more like we used to be?)
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To: jetson
If the pirates were young white chrisians just screwing around they would be considered blood thirsty humans in need of instant execution.

Three of the four black Muslims were instantly executed.

90 posted on 04/13/2009 4:02:16 PM PDT by Doe Eyes
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To: Yorlik803
By Electing Obama, this country is staring into the abyss.

It'll take much more than a mere obama to make us jump, though.

91 posted on 04/13/2009 4:03:36 PM PDT by Seven plus One
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To: Mr Rogers
I’ve despised Gates for years. He sucked up to Congress and ignored most of the military advice he received.

My first thought when I read this statement was that Gates was sucking up to the Obama administration. I doubt that Gates would say this if President Bush was still in office. Gates has to be politically correct with Obama and the libs in office. Can't be insensitive, you know.

Gates statement makes me wonder what kind of debates were going on in the Obama administration about this crisis. I willingly to bet some of the Obama advisors were advocating doing nothing to the pirates.

I just glad that everything turned out OK. God bless the Navy Seals.
92 posted on 04/13/2009 4:03:44 PM PDT by Ticonderoga34 (A Community Organizer is the 21st century version of a Ward Heeler.)
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To: tobyhill

uh-oh, here comes the “Pirate bail-out/stimulus plan” of 09.


93 posted on 04/13/2009 4:03:59 PM PDT by Cap'n Crunch (Rush Limbaugh, the Winston Churchill of our time)
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To: pissant

You wrote:

“Rummy, we need you back”

When you go pirating, you go with the pirates you have...

Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I miss Rummy too.


94 posted on 04/13/2009 4:05:35 PM PDT by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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To: Prophet in the wilderness
Thanks for linking the Conway Cabal. Don't know if related but it seems there are some similarities.

Horatio Gates returned to his troops a chastened general.

95 posted on 04/13/2009 4:06:14 PM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: tobyhill
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Monday that three Somali pirates who were killed by the Navy's Seals to end a hostage crisis were "untrained" teenagers.

Good. Less vermin to grow up, get trained and cause BIGGER problems.

F'em.

God Bless Capt'n.

96 posted on 04/13/2009 4:06:33 PM PDT by Michael Barnes
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To: Dallas59

Sort of an unusual comment by Gates. Perhaps he wants to influence the possibility of any military action?


97 posted on 04/13/2009 4:07:26 PM PDT by baltoga
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To: engrpat
our pampered teens.

How many teens do you have?

98 posted on 04/13/2009 4:07:35 PM PDT by BARLF
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To: tobyhill

“We ain’t no delinquents
We’re misunderstood
Deep down inside us
There is good!”

....”Gee Officer Krupke”


99 posted on 04/13/2009 4:08:02 PM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast ( AR2, Overdue! = American Revolution II...Overdue.)
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To: Seven plus One

I see you have very good taste....the Warthog. I love that baby.........


100 posted on 04/13/2009 4:08:08 PM PDT by marmar ((Although, I may look different then you....my blood still runs..RED, WHITE, & BLUE. RETIRED USAF))
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