Posted on 04/19/2009 8:50:32 AM PDT by NorwegianViking
WASHINGTON While Barack Obama is basking in praise for his "decisive" handling of the Somali pirate attack on a merchant ship in the India Ocean, reliable military sources close to the scene are painting a much different picture of the incident accusing the president of employing restrictive rules of engagement that actually hampered the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips and extended the drama at sea for days. Multiple opportunities to free the captain of the Maersk Alabama from three young pirates were missed, these sources say all because a Navy SEAL team was not immediately ordered to the scene and then forced to operate under strict, non-lethal rules of engagement. They say the response duty office at the Pentagon was initially unwilling to grant an order to use lethal force to rescue Phillips. They also report the White House refused to authorize deployment of a Navy SEAL team to the location for 36 hours, despite the recommendation of the on-scene commander. The White House also turned down two rescue plans offered up by the Seal commander on the scene and the captain of the USS Bainbridge. The SEAL team operated under rules of engagement that required them to do nothing unless the hostage's life was in "imminent' danger... Hours later, frustrated by the missed opportunities to resolve the standoff, the commander of the Bainbridge and the captain of the Navy SEAL team determined they had operational authority to evaluate the risk to the hostage, and took out the pirates at the first opportunity finally freeing Phillips.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
had many similar conversations
from the B/C certificate of me saying why can’t he just show it to his ACORN connections to even his Kenyan connections and Odinga
They know nothing on what is going on because this media is backing obama up and his agenda
I swear when ever I see the media the will get a piece of my mind along with me never stopping to tell everyone I meet how bad obama is
You can bet that this information coming out now will affect the careers of these fine Naval Officers. O’zer will seek retribution for their lack of loyalty... (read “silence”).
We’ll know it is true when we hear that the Bainbridge Capt has been “retired” or given a new Navy command in Oklahoma, while the SEAL commander is sent to a recruiting office in San Fransisco where the closest thing to interest in the Navy would be the Village People reunion tour.
” I know I would say to the media that I was wondering when the seals would shoot or the navy would do something and even when I risked my life jumping overboard I was shocked to find that everyone was just watching instead of shooting them”
Excellent comment and observation. This captain risked his life to save his crew and the ship. The least we could have done is immediately reward his bravery by taking the shot ( if available then) when he jumped into the water.
What other proof needed that he was in danger....
Probably some lawyer worried about proving “ the theory”
For the real story, let’s closely follow the future of the commander of the Bainbridge. My bet is that he’s behind a desk in Washington by July 4th.
He would punish those in the military that were in charge if he could get away with it, I just bet.
Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler
Friday, 17 April 2009
***
We can raise a full glass of your favorite adult beverage to all the Tea Party participants - and to the one group of Americans the Zerocrats despise above all others: our soldiers in the US military.
All of us want to raise our glass the highest this week to the Navy SEALs who popped those three Somali pirates. And I’m sure you want to hear the real story of what happened. Especially because there is a revoltingly opportunistic and cowardly side to it. Guess which side Zero is on.
Why, for example, did it take SEAL Team Six (aka DEVGRU, Navy Special Warfare Development Group, the Navy’s equivalent of Delta Force) over 36 hours to get to the scene?
Because Zero refused to authorize the SEAL deployment for those 36 hours, during which the OSC - the on scene commander, Cmdr. Frank Castellano of the USS Bainbridge - repeatedly requested them.
Once the SEALs arrived - parachuting from a C-17 into the ocean near the ship - Zero then imposed Rules of Engagement (ROE) specifying the SEALs could not do anything unless the life of the hostage, Captain Richard Phillips, was in “imminent” danger.
Thus, when Capt. Phillips attempted to escape by jumping off the lifeboat into the ocean, the SEAL snipers had all four pirates (one later surrendered) sighted in and could have taken them out then and there - but they could not fire due to Zero’s ROE restrictions.
When the SEALs approached the lifeboat in a RIB (rigid-hull inflatable boat) carrying supplies for Capt. Phillips and the pirates, the pirates fired upon them. Not only was no fire returned due to the ROE, but as the pirates were shooting at the RIB, SEAL snipers on the Bainbridge had them all dialed in. No triggers were pulled due to the ROE.
Two specific rescue plans were developed by Cmdr. Castellano and the SEAL teams. Zero personally refused to authorize them.
After the second refusal and days of dithering, Cmdr. Castellano decided he had the Operational Area and OSC authority to “solely determine risk to hostage” and did not require any further approval of the president.
Four hours later, the White House is informed that three pirates are dead and Capt. Phillips has been rescued unharmed. A WH press release is immediately issued, giving credit to the president for his “daring and decisive” behavior that resulted in such success.
Zero has absolutely no military knowledge or experience whatsoever. He demanded decisional control over the entire hostage drama to the last detail. All actions required his personal approval. He dithered like a coward while the world laughed at our warships flummoxed by four illiterate teenagers with AKs in a lifeboat.
Only when the Navy Commander decided to ignore his Pantywaist-in Chief and take action and responsibility himself, were the incredible skills of the SEALs put into play.
That Zero could cynically and opportunistically claim that his “bold” “calm” “tough” leadership was responsible should remind everyone that not a single action, not a single word of this man can be trusted. He is bereft of honesty and moral character. That’s why he’s Zero.
The HFR raises a glass full of pride and gratitude to Navy Commander Frank Castellano, the Navy SEALs for their incredible competence, and our military. Let’s hold a Tea Party in their honor.
Obama is a Cook County politician - not a complete idiot, simply power mad and Cook County perfected power politics in a controlled breeding experiment gone wild.
I wonder who wears the pants in the White House?
Is it ok if I say “I TOLD YOU SO!!!!” ....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2227564/posts?page=89#89
From WND: “In fact, when the USS Bainbridge dispatched a rigid-hull inflatable boat to bring supplies to the Maersk Alabama, it came under fire that could not be returned even though the SEAL team had the pirates in their sights.
Many hours before the fatal shots were fired, taking out the three young pirates, Phillips jumped into the Indian Ocean with the idea of giving the snipers a clear target. However, the SEAL team was still under orders not to shoot.”
These are two huge missed opportunites due to O’zer’s rules of non-engagement. I look forward to hearing from Capt Phillips regarding his shock at being shot at by the pirates when he jumped overboard with no return fire from the Navy. Now he knows O’zer had the Navy’s weapons set on “safe” even when his life was in direct jeopardy.
” Surely, something of this nature was suspected. Phillips thanked a whole lot of folks for his rescue but never once mentioned POTUS “
I noticed that glaring omission also.
Anyone with an IQ above dishwater knew that Barry had to have ordered a stand-down at the outset.
That’s why Lt Col Cowan’s performance on FOX last Sunday was such a disappointment.
He said the first person that deserved praise was Obama.
Not the SEALs, not the Navy, not the crew, not the captain, but, Obama.
Notice how the media has ceased coverage of this story.
Pretty soon, Captain Phillips will get Joe the Plumber treatment.
ZERO is too busy enjoying HIS WAGYU Steak Dinners with HIS HOLLYWOOD TRASH at Our Expense to worry about the details of an Actual JOB! This donkey’s behindhind doesn’t even qualify to be Bill Ayer’s Boot Licker:-( and that is pretty Despicable:-O
In other words: Obama is a skinny little kid, a wussy.
“Only when the Navy Commander decided to ignore his Pantywaist-in Chief and take action and responsibility himself, were the incredible skills of the SEALs put into play.”
Actually, the OSC used Dear Leaders guidance. Think about it for a second, even Dear Leader couldn’t ignore the bad press that would surely follow if the captain was killed and it came out he never approved ROE allowing action on the part of the Navy. And, if the Navy acted and things went south, Dear Leader can point at the Navy and say, “hey, those guys acted irresponsibly and without my direct order, they misinterpreted the situation and acted wildly.”
By keeping his nose in the second-by-second decision-making process, he did more damage than if he just said to the Navy; “Got everything you need? Good. Call me back when it’s over.”
The Dear Leader said use of deadly force was authorized when there is “imminent” danger to the live of the captain. With pirates holding a gun to the captain the entire time, it is clear to the most casual observer that the captain life was in imminent danger-—always! Period.
So, the OSC and SEALS took Dear Leader at his word and acted.
The one’s at the scene make the call if “imminent” danger was present, not Dear Leader and his apologists and enablers, you know, the ones that don’t trust (like) the military and fault the military for acting in accordance with ROE.
The Navy acted in accordance with ROE.
From the above article,
"They say the response duty office at the Pentagon was initially unwilling to grant an order to use lethal force to rescue Phillips. They also report the White House refused to authorize deployment of a Navy SEAL team to the location for 36 hours, despite the recommendation of the on-scene commander."
They is a very reliable source.
I knew something was up when the media went on and on about how Obozo saved the day.
Cowan’s an enigma, but worse still, he’s a waste of time & space. The Fox “military advisor” I’ve grown to respect is Ralph Peters:
“She [Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano] needs to be fired for her bigoted attitudes toward our military veterans. Then give her a job at the International House of Pancakes because shes good with waffles.
Look, Janet from-another-planet Napolitano has forbade the use of the term Islamist terrorist or Muslim terrorist within the Department of Homeland Security. In fact, she doesnt want the word terrorist used at all.
But youve read this report, Steve, and I encourage all Americans to read it. It repeatedly warns of our military vets being terrorists. She uses terrorist. It warns about people who oppose illegal immigration as being terrorist threats, as people who may differ on right-to-life issues as terrorist threats.
And its also racist. Because, you know, theres no mention of minority violence, no mention of Muslim violence, of Islamist violence. Its all basically, if you read it, you get the message that white Christians are a threat to the country, and oh, by the way, look out for those vets, because Hollywood and Harvard warned us, theyll come in, theyll move in next door and kill you and hurt your child. Steve, its disgraceful.”
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