Some of the boys took a break from Sleeping, Eating, And Lifting to bust caps in three of the pirates, freeing the captain and leaving the fourth pirate to be brought back to America in chains and hung from a gibbet at the entrance of New York Harbor as a warning to other would-be aquatic miscreants. (Well, a girl can dream, can't she?)
Apparently the C-in-C had given the trigger pullers all the clearance they needed, and good job on that, Barry. A suggestion? While you've got a couple destroyers, an amphibious assault ship, and a bunch of Marines and SEALs over there, you could maybe engage in a bit of nest-burning? After all, killing individual alligators doesn't solve the problem; draining the swamp does, and you're unlikely to find less resistance in the international community than right after a very photogenic hijacking/rescue scenario that reads like a Clancy novel.
Sleeping, Eating, And Lifting.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the old trifecta?
That's for the sailors who don't wear camouflage.
ReplyDelete...although I note that both rum and the lash are prohibited on modern USN vessels.
ReplyDelete"After all, killing individual alligators doesn't solve the problem; draining the swamp does, and you're unlikely to find less resistance in the international community than right after a very photogenic hijacking/rescue scenario that reads like a Clancy novel."
ReplyDeleteBut that...that would be MEAN!! *cries bitter tears of liberal bitterness*
This is where genetically targeted bio-weaponry would be really nifty.
ReplyDeleteBut, I'd settle for extensive air-fuel propane bombing of any signs of human habitation along that stretch of coast.
...preceded by a good grooming of any luxury cars and SUV locales by napalm saturation scorching.
That way we won't waste any of OUR soldiers on taking out the world's garbage for them.
Ah,never mind.
The Adopt-a-Somali-Pirate Humanitarians would take such actions the wrong way.
We'd end up with a government Fiat rendering us under pain of imprisonment, to give the victim-class our homes and possessions here, to the poor, unjustly treated pirate families.
Unnd...wait. that sounds like we're already doing that, here. OK. so crew the Somalis. Proceed with plan A.
John, the Red
Are we seeing any signs from the Lightworker's minions that this was anything other than what it was, a sound drubbing of the enemy?
ReplyDeleteI mean, I haven't heard any screams or cries for Barry's removal. Is this a sign of the selective nature of left or something?
Don't you think it'd have been different if Ole George had still been in charge and made the exact same call?
How partisan can one be?
I was shocked that the "one" approved lethal force. Shocked but very pleased. God bless our snipers!!!
ReplyDeleteHow 'bout a 5" round through anything that floats on the coast of Somalia?
ReplyDelete@Architect: Yes, I've seen a fair bit of whining here in Seattle about "paying such a high price" for rescuing the captain.
ReplyDeleteAs if piracy in that part of Africa wasn't a multiple-millenia tradition.
Time to pull the USS Iowa out of the mothballs, I'm thinking.
I didn't expect to be writing this, this week, but:
ReplyDeleteWell Done, Mr. President!
...and it's never a surprise to find myself writing:
Well Done, Navy!
I must admit, I am pleased with how Obama handled things. He didn't feel the need to chest thump, he just gave approval to the military to handle things quickly, quietly, and efficiently.
ReplyDeleteIt stands in contrast to his "world apology tour."
Seeing as how the 3 are 'teenagers' (listed as 17 to 19 years), how soon will they be classified as 'disadvantaged youts' and listed among the gun-caused fatalities of the Bradyites?
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Rabbit.
This is a maximum effort by the great one, and will have to suffice for probably the rest of the administration.
ReplyDeletePresumably the heartrending loss of these three poor innocents will bring the Somali people to their collective knees, and they will plant flower gardens in their parks as memorials. After which, they will eschew any kind of violence. What's Somali for Kumbaya?
The Somali "government" (basically a bunch of Taliban-wannabes who "hold" little more than the capitol city) announced weeks ago that it would allow (with a few inconsequential face-saving provisos, like getting written permission) foreign troops to undertake anti-pirate operations in the country. Nor do they much care which troops: English, Chinese, German, Russian, even US. Well, maybe not Israeli... But some form of what used to be called realpoltick is keeping anyone from taking up the offer.
ReplyDeleteHow about just a nice barbecue of that coast using napalm from F/A-18s. Heck we could be nice and put the fires out with an old-fashioned carpet bombing from some B-52s.
ReplyDeleteEverything, living or inert, should be on fire in Somalia . . . right . . . flippin' . . . now.
ReplyDeleteIt's time to teach the Jihadis how to behave, and that would be crispy.
Shootin' Buddy
I believe in giving credit where credit is due ... but this ain't one of those times. The Big Zero was too busy eating his specially made pizza and naming his puppy to bother himself too much on this. At best, he just stayed out of the way and allowed the Navy to do what they deemed necessary, given the circumstances and within the standing Rules of Engagement. IOW, he didn't tell them to hold fire but neither did he give any orders that led to the captain's rescue.
ReplyDeleteSee here for more: The Story of a Successful Rescue (and a Democratic Administration’s Attempt to Claim Credit)
"The Big Zero"Why haven't I heard this before.
ReplyDeletePerfect!
I's SOOOOO stealing that!