Navy snipers had multiple chances to shoot Somali pirates (Obama waits until Captain nearly killed)

LA Times ^ | 4/13/2009 | Julian E. Barnes and Greg Miller

[tobyhill]

Reporting from Washington -- Before ending a pirate standoff with three fatally precise shots, U.S. Navy SEAL snipers had passed on multiple opportunities to fire.

They had moved into position after the White House expanded the authority it had given the world's most powerful navy against a rag-tag foe holding an American hostage.

[AndyJackson]

not long after the White House got word that Capt. Phillips had tried to escape from his captors.”

Why weren't the pirates all dead the moment the Captain jumped overboard? What is it about passing tactical command to the commander on the scene that we keep having a hard time learning? What sort of idiot military advice is O getting?

[M. Espinola]

After the White House is ‘reaching out’ to the ‘Muslim word’ thus they don’t wish to offend them. (arch-appeasement is more like it)

[AndyJackson]

I don't like the way every last detail leaks out, so that the enemy can study what was done and figure out how to do it better next time.

Every last detail leaks out because some stupid decisions were made and the boy wonder needs to learn. Since he won't listen to competent advisors and won't find anyone more competent the Michelle's makeup artist, these things get leaked. Embarassment by headlines sometimes teaches this callow youth thinking they know how to run something. It's hard to be master of the universe when you are being ridiculed.

[chargers fan]

How can anyone on this board defend ZERO is what I would like to know

Nobody's defending him, they are just acknowledging that as Commander in Chief he authorized the rescue and it happened on his watch. Even a stop clock. Please, keep Free Republic from becoming the right's Daily Kos.

[Freedom Dignity n Honor]

“If the goal was just to kill these guys there were opportunities where we could have shot them,” said a military official. “This was not the outcome we wanted. We wanted those three guys to give themselves up.”

Why? Do Obama could committ the ultimate torture and bore them to death with his speeches?

[tc45a]

Also, numbnuts, if you want to pretend you are military in Private Mails, Americans don't normally use the word....eschelon......

I never said I was in the miltary. I said I sent an email to my BIL, who is in the Army in Iraq.

[trisham]

He should be impeached.

[bert]

......He should be impeached......

He can’t be impeached.

[trisham]

I will now consume a plateful of crow.

I was willing to extend the benefit of lack of onsite information to the Obama administration, given the successful final outcome. But if the SEALs had clear daylight kill shots, they should have been taken. Instead, the SEALs apparently had much tougher shots when the time came. Thank God they were up to the task.

*******************

I have no problem with your previous posts on this issue. We now have more information than we did last week end. Keeping a cool head is a good thing, imho.

I think many of us suspected that this was going to come out, but all we had were our suspicions.

[trisham]

Now that you're on the other side of it, you're still catching flack. :)

[trisham]

Why not? He's an enemy of the Constitution of the United States.

[dools007]

I just read Gates’ account in my paper this morning. It is pure spin. Point number 1: The Marxist Onada imposed himself on decision making early on. The military was not permitted to take any action without his approval. Point number 2: The ship’s captain was in the lifeboat for four or five days. Point number 3: Ship’s captain jumped out of boat leaving pirates without a shield and military took no action. Gates specifically talked about mitigating risk in his comments today. If that was the goal, then the least risky time to kill (gasp) the pirates would have been while the captain was in the water. But no, the pirates were permitted to recapture the captain. Point number 4: Why would permission to shoot require two separate approvals simply because different American military entities would be handling the job? Doesn’t make any sense except to brain dead demrat and RINO voters.

Gates would have been better off keeping his mouth shut. He does not lie very well.

[Marine_Uncle]

The POTUS is batting zero so far. Again thought our military comes through like a shiny star.

[silent_jonny]

LMAO!!

[manc]

EXACTLY
obama and his cronies do every thing planned, from the finger salute to Hillary and McCain to this.

All of his life has been scripted and directed

[Grampa Dave]

When there was no action from our side when the captain jumped out of the boat the first time, it was obvious to those of us who served in the Navy under LBJ, Carter or Clinton, that TOTUS was micromanaging the situation.

It would not surprise me one day, if we read that our men on the Bainbridge did not have bullets in their weapons like the USS Cole situation.

[bert]

.....Why not? ......

he is untouchable. he is in control of the government.

[Grampa Dave]

"The media is trying to portray this as a take charge president....LOL."

The Obamas Stage Daring Rescue

AP: Washington DC April 12 2008 10:37PM EST

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibb released an official photo of the President and First Lady rescuing Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates.

In a prepared statement Gibb stated, "...that America's foes better be prepared for robust and immediate and personal action from The President and First Lady."

The President and First Lady were unharmed according to Gibb. They are expected to arrived on Monday by a F-18 Hornet piloted by Michelle Obama.

Gibb also stated that the supposed visit by The First Family to St. John’s Episcopal Church was an elaborate plot to lull the Somali pirates into complacency. Actors were used to impersonate the Obamas @ St John's with Will Smith playing TOTUS and Oprah playing Michelle. While the actors were at St John's, TOTUS and Michelle did a specop HALO jump onto the deck of the USS Bainbridge while it was underway at flank speed.

When asked by reporters his reactions to the rescue, Vice President Biden responded, "The Obamas are some crazy SOB's and they kick ass and take names, so you better not piss them off."

[Ebenezer]

I believe McCain would have dealt with this differently and along these lines: “At the first chance, shoot those bastards!”

[Ebenezer]

And, supposedly, the U.S. was close to capturing Bin Laden during Clinton’s presidency but didn’t follow through.