Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Monday, April 20, 2009

Which Rescue Story Is True?

Radm Lou Sarosdy USN Ret. writes
The real story of Obama's Decision Making with the hostages.

Having spoken to some SEAL pals here in Virginia Beach yesterday and asking why this thing dragged out for 4 days, I got the following:

1. BHO wouldn't authorize the DEVGRU/NSWC SEAL teams to the scene for 36 hours going against OSC (on scene commander) recommendation.
2. Once they arrived, BHO imposed restrictions on their ROE that they couldn't do anything unless the hostage's life was in "imminent" danger
3. The first time the hostage jumped, the SEALS had the raggies all sighted in, but could not fire due to ROE restriction
4. When the navy RIB came under fire as it approached with supplies, no fire was returned due to ROE restrictions. As the raggies were shooting at the RIB, they were exposed and the SEALS had them all dialed in.
5. BHO specifically denied two rescue plans developed by the Bainbridge CPN and SEAL teams
6. Bainbridge CPN and SEAL team CDR finally decide they have the OpArea and OSC authority to solely determine risk to hostage. 4 hours later, 3 dead raggies
7. BHO immediately claims credit for his "daring and decisive" behaviour. As usual with him, it's BS.

Read the following accurate account.

Philips’ first leap into the warm, dark water of the Indian Ocean hadn’t worked out as well. With the Bainbridge in range and a rescue by his country’s Navy possible, Philips threw himself off of his lifeboat prison, enabling Navy shooters onboard the destroyer a clear shot at his captors 8 0 and none was taken.

The guidance from National Command Authority — the president of the United States,
Barack Obama — had been clear: a peaceful solution was the only acceptable outcome to this standoff unless the hostage’s life was in clear, extreme danger.

The next day, a small Navy boat approaching the floating raft was fired on by the Somali pirates — and again no fire was returned and no pirates killed. This was again due to the cautious stance assumed by Navy personnel thanks to the combination of a lack of clear guidance from Washington and a mandate
from the commander in chief’s staff not to act until Obama, a man with no background of dealing with such issues and no track record of decisiveness, decided that any outcome other than a “peaceful solution” would be acceptable.
After taking fire from the Somali kidnappers again Saturday night, the on scene commander decided he’d had enough.
Keeping his authority to act in the case of a clear and present danger to the hostage’s life and having heard nothing from Washington since yet another request to mount a rescue op eration had been denied the day before, the Navy officer — unnamed in all media reports to date — decided the AK47 one captor had leveled at Philips’ back was a threat to the hostage’s life and ordered the NSWC team to take their shots.

Three rounds downrange later, all three brigands became enemy KIA and Philips was safe.
There is upside, downside, and spinside to the series of events over the last week that culminated in yesterday’s dramatic rescue of an American hostage.
Almost immediately following word of the rescue, the Obama administration and its supporters claimed victory against pirates in the Indian Ocean and [1] declared that the dramatic end to the standoff put paid to questions of the inexperienced president’s toughness and decisiveness.

Despite the Obama administration’s (and its sycophants’) attempt to spin yesterday’s success as a result of bold, decisive leadership by the inexperienced president, the reality is nothing of the sort.
What should have been a standoff lasting only hours — as long as it took the USS Bainbridge and its team of NSWC operators to steam to the location — became an embarrassing four day and counting standoff between a ragtag handful of criminals with rifles and a U.S. Navy warship.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a shock did anyone really believe the White House's spin on this action. I heard reports that Obama only would agree to any actions against these pirates only after White House legal told him he had to because of US and international law. What an embarassment Obama proves to be everyday he holds that office, 01/20/13 cannot come fast enough!

Anonymous said...

Commander and Chief of the armed forces , what a joke! He probabley
still has rubber duckies in the tub. His experience will be his
greatest down-fall. They are a talking about an 8 year term now ,
This nation cannot afford to re-elect this man.

Anonymous said...

Obama , a real decision maker , NOT!

Anonymous said...

As usual he only partially commits to something, that way if it backfires he can spin it to appear that he did not sanction it himself, if it is successful he can claim full credit. The man is a disgrace, sucking up to brutal dictators and yet his administration calls the Tea Party participants terrorists. Our country may not survive .

Anonymous said...

Amen. 4 and gone

Mardela said...

Having spent 9 years in the Navy, this account sound very accurate.

A Commander in Chief by title only!

Strom Thurmond said...

Wow - one wonders how high-pitched the criticsm would have been if the captain had been killed because we went in too soon.

Would any of you be willing to admit that it won't matter what Obama does - you'll still work hard to bring about his downfall? You hate him, you hate what he stands for, and even a pitch-perfect success like his handling of the pirate crisis is cause for you to look for what *really* happened.

I don't have a problem with that, actually...as long as everyone's being honest and we all know where we stand.

Anonymous said...

What a crock of crap. You idiots will believe anything anti-Obama. The fact is the Captain is safe, the pirates are dead or captured. Would anyone prefer a different outcome?

Anonymous said...

Maybe he was reading a book to kids during that time, did you think of that. I can't believe that republicans have anything to say after the last 8 years.

Anonymous said...

Having a brother on the USS Bainbridge, I can tell you this nutjob doesn't speak for the Navy. This guy couldn't polish the shoes of those snipers, and I'll tell you what else: Vice Admiral Bill Gortney would say the same. Everybody did their job that day and with skill and luck combined, it all worked out. Please, Joe, for the sake of our men in uniform (I'm one of them) keep this crap off of your blog. He doesn't speak for us. Oh, and by the way, "raggies"? Really? We're down to using racial slurs? Please don't give these scumbags a forum for their garbage.

Anonymous said...

242?

I don't know where you get your info. (retired?)

But I work directly with and just got off the phone with someone from the 5 sided puzzle palace.

He agreed with this assessment.

That is all.

Anonymous said...

4:13 dies he wash the toilets? Because if he/she had any integrity they wouldn't dicuss the matter. Every person that works at the Pentagon has a security clearance albiet different levels. Anyone who would have direct knowledge of the logistics of the operation would not talk about it. End of story.

Anonymous said...

The alleged source denies the story on several points. More hatred of Obama accepted uncritically by those who hate him, just as many lies about GWB were accepted by those who hated him. Take a bit of personal responsibility an check out the stories, even if you want to believe them.

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/04/admiral-says-he-didnt-write-email-criticizing-piracy-rescue