Posted on 04/13/2009 6:07:49 PM PDT by tobyhill
When a crime does occur at sea, several factors determine whether the U.S. has legal jurisdiction. A complicated weave of international law applies, but as a rule, the FBI leads investigations of the following scenarios:
If the ship is U.S.-owned, regardless of the nationality of the victim or perpetrator;
If the crime occurs in U.S. territorial waters (within 12 miles of the coast);
If the victim or perpetrator is a U.S. national on a ship that departed or is arriving at a U.S. port;
If it’s an act of terrorism against the U.S.
From FBI Website:http://www.fbi.gov/page2/may06/cruise_crime052206.htm
It is simply an absolute fact that the chances are improved at closer range than they are at a farther range. It’s so obvious and clear that no one need to even get into statistics and probability — because everyone knows this inherently...
If you don’t know this inherently, I’m afraid you’re “beyond help” for something like a Free Republic board... :-)
Even with your platform moving up and down and your targets platform moving up and down-maybe at a different rate than yours?
Don't be silly. The druggie in our White House doesn't even know the Constitution of the United States of America. How could he be an enemy? He's just a stranger.
Perhaps I'm beyond help. Perhaps I know the difference between the required accuracy and the actual accuracy of a trained sniper. At 25 meters, they can choose which nostril to put the bullet through although they'd actually aim a bit higher, while at 200 meters there's a little more uncertainty but not enough that the pirate is going to survive long enough to react to being shot. I fired 150 rifle rounds over the weekend (less than usual because I took Easter off), without a single shot that would miss a head at 200 meters, and I would bet that each sniper who took the shot had more practice five days a week than I had Saturday.
As for the moving platform and target, with the reasonably steady rhythm of the waves it's still not a major factor. I'm a lot more worried about the pirates freaking out or panicking over a bird splashing to catch a fish or something natural jumping nearby in the water than I am about an expert missing a critical shot. If I was the hostage, I would have been annoyed that the pirates survived the first 24 hours and angry beyond words that no one dealt with them after they were left alone in the boat during the escape so that it was a clean shot for an amateur with lots of ammunition.
********************
Heh. Well done. :)
He looks like a real wiener...to me!
You nailed ‘im ern.
Every major war America fought in the twentieth century was declared by a Democrat, many of whom ran on anti-war planks.
Like clinton, Obama will predicatably get us into some useless war on the wrong side, and everyone will rally round.
I think he needs some excuse to bring a few million Somalis to the U.S. and put them on welfare.
Michael Z. Williamson has written a trilogy of novels about a pair of snipers who take out terrorists. They give what I think is a fairly accurate picture of how snipers work. The first in the series is “The Scope of Justice.”
Yes! That captured young fellow will make a splendid welfare recipient in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, or Columbus, Ohio.
Piracy was the only career open to him, because of racism and the pollution of Somalia's pristine fishing grounds by evil white Europeans. Once here in Maine, perhaps he can take up lobstering, and if that fails, he can always get a few Somali brothers together and hi-jack the Nova Scotia Ferry.
Clinton did essentially the same thing after the Khobar Towers attack. Link to Freeh Article
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?
Well, of course, we're guessing. A recent article said that between the capture and the outcome Obama had 18 military briefings. We don't know what was said.
One possibility is that he was asked to give permission to shoot to kill in order to free the Captain, and refused.
Another possibility, I think much likelier, is that the particular "military briefers" involved were probably chosen because they were on Obama's wavelength, were quite aware of his prejudices, and took a much more cautious approach, to avoid getting on his bad side. Maybe they just asked him what he thought they should do. And Obama hemmed and hawed, and said, "no shooting until I give the word," or something to that effect.
In any case, the Navy had a perfect opportunity to end it when the captain jumped overboard the first time, and they blew it. Why? I don't think it was because those on the scene were incompetent. As we clearly saw later, they were far from incompetent. I think it's because their hands were tied.
The poor guy jumped overboard thinking that that would give the Navy a chance to rescue him, and then they did nothing. So he was shot at by the pirates, taken back into the boat, and tied up for the next several days, all because Obama didn't want to make up his mind to allow the Navy to shoot.
Or, of the truth be told, all because Obama likes Muslim Somali pirates better than he likes white Americans.
.....As we clearly saw later, they were far from incompetent....
I think if you check the time line, the shooters were not present at the first escape
Is that right? I understand that destroyers often have Seals on board for contingencies.
If it’s true that they lacked that resource, then you have to wonder what the commanders were thinking of. Was sending American naval ships into the region just an empty show of force, or were they actually prepared to deal with this type of pirates and this type of situation, which certainly should have been a predictable contingency. Small boats, pirates, hostages—that’s mostly what this has been about all along.
Didn’t go to the source article, but one point -
Was the article clear that the snipers were from the Boxer, the Bainbridge didn’t have the SEALS on board.
But that doesn’t excuse Obama from not allowing the kills before if the situation warranted.
First opportunity they got, they shoulda gone for it.....wonder if any other details come out....
Well, humble pie don’t taste so bad, douse it with hot sauce!
Some excerpts from the article indicate that it’s not as clear cut as painted by many here.....
.....But most of all, they waited as a series of seemingly insignificant moves — from extending the pirates a rope to bringing an injured brigand on-board — improved their odds of success.
“Bringing them in closer gave them a smoother ride,” said a senior U.S. military official, describing internal deliberations on condition of anonymity. “Also, if we had to take kinetic action — as we did in this case — the shot would have greater potential for success.”
.......
crisis seems to have crystallized for the administration on Friday, after the White House got word that Capt. Richard Phillips had tried to escape from his captors.
The escape attempt had presented an early rescue opportunity for the military. But the Navy had no warning that Phillips was going to attempt to flee.
>>>>>Although a military special operations team had been mobilized, it had not yet arrived, and the Navy had no way to capitalize on Phillips’ gumption.<<<<<<
Instead, the incident underscored the danger Phillips was in as the pirates fired their AK-47s at him as he tried to swim away, then beat him after dragging him back aboard the boat.
Dirtboy, I think we were on the correct analysis.
The money quote. Obama was trying to limit the use of force with his ROEs. And he had to expand the order after Philips tried to escape. I am sure now that the last thing Obama wanted was for the "pirates" to be killed. He was treating this all along as a domestic hostage taking incident rather than a violation of international law. We have the right to use lethal force against pirates. No need for an ROE.
>>He was treating this all along as a domestic hostage taking incident
Yes, sending the FBI indicated that. it was dismaying at the time, but may have been a delaying tactic...at least it turned out that way.
However, let’s be optimistic and .assume. the guys on the ground (water) always knew that they might have to use force before the pirates tried to beach their craft.
......Is that right?.....
I of course was not there but have monitored reports closely, especially the presser on Sunday by the admiral in Bahrain.
It has been reported that the seals were dropped into the water along with their boat and gear away from the ship and lifeboat so as not to let their presence be known. The admiral was asked where the seals came from and he advised the questioner that the SEAL point of departure was classified.
I can’t speculate on the remainder of your post.
No inside information here, just speculating.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.