What really happened with the Somali pirates...

[synergy]

I've overheard some buzz from a few guys who were in the unit who fired the shots....and they were certainly not given any "kill order" by the White House.

Their ROE's were to be only REACTIONARY...and only the guys on-site decided to supersede that and do what they thought necessary. But now the White House wants to catch a free ride on THEIR courage and decisive, professional action....when they wouldn't even authorize the actions that were taken.

I think we may see some more info about this leak out after some of the ongoing AAR's and reports are completed and released.

If we're going to make Tier 1 units fight 4 guys in a raft with 1 hand tied behind their back....how the hell are we going to deal with this -->http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...efmRQD97NTJNG0

AP Top News at 11:00 p.m. EDT

47 minutes ago

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Taliban militants have extended their grip in northwestern Pakistan, pushing out from a valley where the government has agreed to impose Islamic law and patrolling villages as close as 60 miles from the capital. Police and officials appear to have fled as armed militants also broadcast radio sermons and spread fear in Buner district, just 60 miles from Islamabad, officials and witnesses said Wednesday. Pakistan's president signed off on the peace pact last week in hopes of calming Swat, where some two years of clashes between the Taliban and security forces have killed hundreds and displaced up to a third of the one-time tourist haven's 1.5 million residents.

I'm beginning to really think that our national security is going to be seriously compromised under this administration. And I worry that our country won't make it to the next election, in any state to be proud of.

[Rauswaffen]

When it comes to attacking anything but the bill of rights, Obama has a spine made of melted butter.

[synergy]

Just found this through open sources, so here are more details....

Barack Obama vs. U.S. Navy Seals Five Days of Presidential Indecision
Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 8:36PM

By John Barnhart

Now that the stand off is over I have received a very disturbing intelligence report courtesy of the Pure Pursuit Information Center by way of a former Special Operations Commander that paints a very different picture of what actually happened.

This is the tale of Barack Hussein Obama vs. The U.S. Navy Seals according to the reports received along with my own commentary on the subject.

After a five day stand off the U.S. Navy Seals finally action against the Somali pirates holding U.S. Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama. Many in the liberal media gave huge praise to the President for authorizing the action and went so far as to say that in this case there was no way that conservatives could be critical of President Barack Obama because he acted swiftly and was tough, he had finally shown his metal.

As much as I am glad the stand off came to an end I want the world to know that it was not because President Obama finally authorized decisive action. I cannot stand by and allow the left wing media to play up President Barack Obama’s actions while ignoring the real lack of action ion his part. this was a huge opportunity for him to show the world that America will not stand by and allow our citizens and commerce to be threatened. Instead he proved himself to be nothing more than a liberal lump of wiggly transparent Jell-O, the greatest nuclear power on earth was held captive for 5 days by 4 pirates in a row boat with AK-47’s.

First, soon after the pirates took the Alabama President Obama was asked about using Special Operations troops to bring an end to the stand off. For 36 hours the President refused to authorize them to go to the scene even after the on scene commander recommended the action. The President told DEVGRU/NSWC SEAL teams “No!”

Upon arrival President Obama, a man with no military experience at all, not even as a state militia volunteer, a reservist or an Air National Guard fighter pilot (hint hint) told the U.S. Navy, Marines on site that they were not to do anything unless there was “imminent danger.” So essentially the Rules of Engagement stated that unless the U.S. forces thought they or the Captain were in “immediate danger” they had to remain at the ready but avoid taking direct action. Thanks to President Obama, Captain Phillips was for all practical purposes on his own, that is until the commanders on the scene had enough of the President voting “present.”

Days later, when the Captain made an attempt to escape and the pirates began shooting into the water to try and wound or kill him the U.S. Navy Seals had the pirates sighted in but had NO AUTHORIZATION to fire on them. As a result the Captain was unable to escape and was brought back into the pirates boat.

When a U.S. Navy supply boat was fired on during the ordeal, again the Seals had the pirates in the cross hairs but due to the rules of engagement and orders from President Obama, they took no action.

The Seals spent hours developing multiple rescue plants to nab the Captain and bring him back to the USS Bainbridge safely but the President specifically DENIED them the authorization to such take action.

After several denials by the President to authorize the Seals to take action and kill the pirates, the commander on the Bainbridge decided that the stand off had gone on for far too many days and that Captain Phillips was in immediate danger. He was visibly tired of the President’s lack of concern and action.

As the verbal and signals exchanges with the pirates continued to escalate in a heated manner while towing them around the Indian Ocean, and with Pirates pointing AK-47 assault weapons at Captain Phillips, the Navy made the decision to coordinate an attack. Navy Seal sniper fire resulted in the killing of three pirates instantly, leaving the last one needing to change his shorts and Phillips alive and well.

The entire sniper operation from start to finish, from planning to set up took all of four hours. The entire ordeal lasted almost a week.

Despite claims by President Obama that he took daring and decisive action, it is all a huge smoke screen to help him save face. Captain Phillips was lucky to have survived, but President Obama should be ashamed and in my book deserves to have egg on his face because he wanted “a peaceful solution” when the situation called for the killing of thugs to protect an American patriots life, international commerce, and our reputation as a strong nation.

If this story sounds like one of those stereotypical action movies that takes viewers on an emotional roller coaster where troops hands are tied by some Washington DC bureaucrat while they watch Americans suffer at the hands of the enemy, maybe that is because it happens all too often. Need I remind readers that President Bill Clinton stood by and took no action when special ops teams had Usama bin Laden literally “in the kill zone” on at least 13 different occasions.

President Obama promised he would listen to commanders on site in Iraq and Afghanistan, one can only take him at his word but after this incident I certainly don’t trust him at his word. Not that I ever did to begin with.He promised to restore our international reputation… as what? A nation afraid to protect its citizens?

It is my opinion that President Obama has yet to realize that he has to do more than wake up late, vote present, sit in the Oval Office, fly on Air Force One, ride in a big Limo, read a teleprompter, and accept money from the Chinese to serve as American President.

After all of his antics within his first 100 days it seems to me that it is his complete intention to embarrass America in every way possible by making us a nation of needy, withering, weak sticks lacking the testicular fortitude to protect our borders, our sovereignty, our economy, our populace or our reputation.

Thank goodness the U.S. Navy made the decision for him in this case,.Other wise we might have had 4 men in a row boat holding an American Citizen hostage on the high seas for 444 days while billions of American Naval hardware remained on alert in the Indian Ocean waiting for President Obama to wake up and do more than try and “look Presidential.”

[Morel42]

So the source(s) are "I heard some buzz from some guys" and a Right Wing Blogger..

Grasping at straws guys.. I know you want every single thing to happen to be Obama's fault, or a failure..

Even Bush got lucky once and while..

[synergy]

So the source(s) are "I heard some buzz from some guys" and a Right Wing Blogger..

Grasping at straws guys.. I know you want every single thing to happen to be Obama's fault, or a failure..

Even Bush got lucky once and while..

No, the text I quoted backs up/ details what the multiple NSW shooters shared, off the record.

[LorDiego01]

I've overheard some buzz from a few guys who were in the unit who fired the shots....

So its either "buzz" as in, rumor, water-cooler talk, gosssip, and did you yourself, in person, hear said "buzz" from the very same people who actually fired the shots???

and they were certainly not given any "kill order" by the White House.

Or is it "fact", as in, actually happening. I don't think you can back up "fact" with "buzz".

Honestly, after seeing the tread start with such a failure in logic, I didn't bother to go into detail with the rest of the posts.

[Emptymag]

Barack Obama vs. U.S. Navy Seals Five Days of Presidential Indecision
Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 8:36PM

By John Barnhart

Now that the stand off is over I have received a very disturbing intelligence report courtesy of the Pure Pursuit Information Center by way of a former Special Operations Commander that paints a very different picture of what actually happened... (snip)

Honestly. That sounds a lot like e-mail spam.
It all sounds like it could be true, but I can't be sure just by reading something so obviously biased.

This coming from an "evil" conservative.

[Guns4Fun]

The Somali pirates / Seals / Obama story has been floating around the net and some "news agencies" have been running with it since a few days after the pirates were killed. All that I have read indicates that O tied the seals hands and now he is taking full credit for it.


Now to the state of our country. I know this is an absolutely horrible thing to say but I am looking forward to another attack here in America. It will just prove the point that you can't kiss everyone’s ass and sing kum-by-ya and the people that hate us will go away and leave us alone. Again, I know this is horrible but sometimes you need drastic things to wake people up. It's a shame that after 9/11 we still have people preaching that "we" are to blame and not the radical terrorists that killed us.

[Paradigm]

Spin or not, failed logic or not, the mission dragged on for five days. I don't care who is president - that's too long for a bunch of ragtag teenagers to hold our citizen on the high seas.

You'll notice that we're reverting to Clinton-style "fighting" - everything is a police action. Why did we bring the last pirate to the US for trial? It was a military action. Hold the tribunal and send him to the fishes. He isn't covered by the Geneva convention - but now he has US Constitutional rights. Egads.

Heck, we don't even recognize terrorism anymore with the current CIC. "Man-made disasters"??? What the heck is that?

[phillyd2]

I know this is an absolutely horrible thing to say but I am looking forward to another attack here in America.

You are right, a very horrible thing to say. I know that you are not alone in this thinking and no amount of rational debate will ever counter such insanity. So, I'll leave it at that.

As for this story, I'm not sure I really understand what its point is. I more than seriously doubt O or any CNC would say "No" to prepositioning assets such as Seals. It costs him nothing. Besides, I seriously doubt prepositioning would even require Presidential approval, especially onto a navy vessel in international waters. As for the ROE, is this something new? The nice thing about "immediate danger” is that its a catch all phase that gives onsite command wide latitude, which they used as intended.

IMHO, until real facts are learned, this incident was neither a net gain or loss to O. And it should not be scored as such. The only real score that matters is:

NAVY 3, Pirate Punks 0