[Paul R.]

I disagree slightly.

Could we have inserted Seals in time to save Smith and Stevens? No.

Could we have had Seals there in time to better defend the Annex, take out the mortar position, etc.? Yes.

[kabar]

You could do most of it from the air and not risk personnel needlessly. We already had people on the ground painting the targets, i.e., the mortar.

The bottomline is that we could have intervened to protect our people and didn't. The means are not really the issue.