Obama’s Role in the Rescue Operation (Update)

Everyone here knows exactly what I think of 0bama but I agree with Larry that we cannot let our emotions hijack our reasoning. Nothing has changed. I have NOT forgotten nor forgiven what this fraud has done. It is not a sign of weakness but rather of our strength when we acknowledge that even those whom we despise did something right.

Relax folks …or rather not ..as the occasions to give Barky kudos will be extremely and painfully rare ..lol.

But this is from Breitbart:

“Obama twice approved force to rescue hostage”

“Obama praised the captain for his bravery and courage”
http://www.breitbart.com

But what about the reported fact that DOD did not have authority at the outset to engage when the opportunity arose to exploit? (the escape attempt)

DOD made a second request for authorization to use necessary force sometime AFTER Phillips attempted escape. I wasn’t there but I highly doubt that NAVY was unprepared to take out the pirates and rescue Phillips when he attempted escape. I don’t think it was a good call to hold back on authority to use force. Would the authorization have ever come if Phillips had not attempted escape?

There were no forces on scene capable of effecting a rescue on Friday. It takes time for those forces to be alerted, grab their gear and board a plane. Then, once in the air, they have to have a place to land, unload their gear and get on the ship. There were two orders–1) Alert and Deployment and 2) Execute Order.

Even in the Alert and Deployment Order there probably was a paragraph authorizing Emergency Assault and defining the conditions under which that should occur.

The personnel capable of doing the shooting did not get on board the ship until sometime on Saturday. The Execute Order include ROE and Emergency Assault Authority at the discretion of the on scene commander.

The system worked.

SHOCKING NEW REPORT! OBAMA’S REAL TERRORISTS: TARGETING PATRIOTS AND THE RIGHT.

Have you seen this? It is the fascist blueprint to create a police state and legalize gulags. This is not a spoof. This is Obama’s “civilian army’s” MOB. (hat tip the Rockman)

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/

PDF booklet ,manual , Homeland Security.

http://www.rogerhedgecock.com/resources/HSA%20-%20Rightwing%20Extremism%20-%20Climate%20Fueling%20Radicalization%20and%20Recruitment,dated%207%20April%202009.pdf

Well okay, I’m not trying to argue with your truly superior knowledge on these matters because I really don’t know. But I am puzzled as to why the Alert and Deployment Order was not contemporaneously executed with the Execute Order. Why wouldn’t you want/need the authority to execute upon arrival if the circumstances provided the window, which they did.

I still say the credit belongs with the people who were there…Obama wasnt even putting up a good face for America or World Wide public…

When and if I see Obama actually direct and or be directly behind something that does some good for the nation I will be the first to say Go Obama…But right now all I see is a man who is only out for what he can personally get.

So far 90% of everything this man has done and/or said has only put America futher in a black hole. Obama is and has been destroying our reputation verbally and financially.

nevermind, read your updated post. Thanks.

Because the situation on the ground (or sea in this case) can change while the force is en-route. Second, these are professionals and they are not going to act impulsively unless the life of the hostage is imminently at risk.

Sounds to me like the negotiators snookered the pirates, got them to agree to let the boat be “towed” to shore. This permitted the US Naval ship to have some control over the lifeboat and gave the snipers more time to observe and zero in their targets.

I understand what you’re saying. But please, I was in no way suggesting that our guys aren’t superbly trained professionals who would act impulsively!! On the contrary!!

Do we lose sight of the fact that this situation would never have happened if Obama’s administration had told Maersk that you want to sail in these waters, you have armed protection onboard, instead the Obama administration caved to Maersk saying “NO” the to them!

Sailing under the American flag is not a right, it is a priviledge and is administrated by the US Government period!

So the outcome was inevidable sooner or later that an American flagged ship would be hijacked sailing without protection that was not enforced by Obama’s administration against big business.

So suck it up fellow taxpayers, we foot the bill for another big business telling our government to “screw you”!

And people want to give Obama praise for his inability to save taxpayers the burden of a possible hijacking that came to be, let alone American lives?

People forget Obama’s claim to fame is his better judgement, well where is it, saddled in the wonderful world of big business rules all!

You never praise the weak link and in this situation, Obama had a duty to the American people to enforce rules in that part of the world to protect Americans in unsafe terain waters and didn’t, so the buck starts with a failed and weak Obama administration

Is Obama ready to take “credit”, if the pirates start shooting the other hostages?

“… we cannot let our emotions hijack our reasoning.”

What a great comment, catherine! The entire comment. Nothing else has changed. But he did well with this crisis. And, thank god he has such seasoned, highly able people at his side! From Robert Gates (who knew what the procedures were and how to execute them — which I doubt Obama knew) — to Hillary Clinton’s intimate knowledge of Africa, Somalia, etc. as well as her intimate knowledge of how our special forces operate (remember how she knocked Larry’s socks off with her ability to speak authoritatively on special forces operations, and how that influenced Larry to support her candidacy?) — to Gen. Jones as NSA, and to the entire Joint Chiefs leaders and support staff.

It was a group effort but, in the end, Obama had to make the call. Those old “West Wing” episodes i’ve been watching were very instructive in how hard it is for a president, especially one with little military knowledge and no military background, to make an informed decision — because he’s forced to learn very quickly at the very same time he’s having to make life-and-death decisions.

I’m sure he was counseled by all the top people to take that course, but he still had to “green light” it. In WW, there were many times that President Bartlet couldn’t go along with the advice of everyone else in the room, and they realized that part of his difficulty was that he just flat-out didn’t know enough. But they schooled him and had the patience needed. Then there was that, while he was a stubborn son of a gun sometimes, he was also ultimately teachable — after putting up quite a fight first — and he had an incredibly quick mind.

But I think that the doubts and self-torture that President Bartlet went through did not happen to Barack. He seems to me more likely to go along with the prevailing POV without nearly as much questioning of the people in the room or any of the internal agonizing. A la George Bush. Which is not good. But, this time, he made the right choice.

And thank god we had him in charge, rather than some hothead like John Bolton who would have wanted to nuke the entire country of Somalia (I exaggerate, but just barely). It is SCARY when a guy with no military background, who also has a THING about proving how tough and manly he is, is in charge. Obama’s self-centered security is actually an asset in these crises — his coolness, while partially because he doesn’t care as much, also keeps him from doing something very rash.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97H4LVO0&show_article=1

Guys you need to view this article on this issue:

AP Article: Obama twice approved force to rescue hostage

“Officials say Obama gave the OK on Friday and Saturday to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast. Officials say both times the Pentagon believed Phillips’ life was at risk.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Administration officials say Obama was told Sunday of the rescue while he was in the White House residence.”

It looks Obama had no clue what to do and the military had more acumen to address the situation than BHO.

Gringoes 1, Pirates 0.

Number of Dead/Bleeding Sailors: 0

A Good Day’s Work.

I, too, see this situation with the rescued Captain as a best outcome GIVEN a bad input. In fact, this is how I view any events throughout the entire BO Presidency. (This has always been my dilemma in teaching; do I work on the one end, to prevent future problems or, on the other end, to remediate the damage already done.)

Also, the Captain gave the Navy enough space what to do…

Check this out per CNN

Captain jumps overboard, SEALs shoot pirates, official says
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/12/somalia.pirates/index.html

It would be incredibly stupid for Obama to put a “good face for America”. Because then you put presidency into the hostage situation. I bet you, had he done that, you’d be accusing him of playing politics with American lives.

Now that the captain is save the jokes have started.

How many Navy Ships it takes to rescue 1 American from 4 Somalian Pirates in a little life boat?

Obama Strategy: Jump in the water twice if you want to be save.

How many days it took French Commandos to rescue 4 Frenchmen from 4 Pirates in a Luxury yatch?

Larry, you are assumming that Obama is actually following this procedure. We don’t know that. Every man has his own style of operations.

Didn’t Obama and Hillary had a meeting in the past few days?

Absolutely the captain is the real hero!

Larry, you are assumming that Obama is actually following this procedure. We don’t know that. Every man has his own style of operations.

Didn’t Obama and Hillary have a meeting in the past few days?

So, authorizing the use of force does not compel the use of force; it all depends on what’s happening on the ground at the time. Sort of like HRC’s vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq. (I cannot find the link to her live speech anymore; I will keep looking.)

Obama just went up a notch for me. Our guys did good and Captain Phillips is safe. They said a rousing cheer and celebration went up on the Alabama M. and with good, good reason.

Great news!

Harp if the shooting of the pirates ends up as a negative I will bet my bottom dollar Obama will be pointing fingers at everyone but himself.

The article I read said Obama gave them authority if the hostages life was in danger.

Again, it seems if the Captain didn’t jump again, giving the commander of the Navy ship the capability to to tell his men to fire when the pirates aimed their guns at the captain for jumping, would they not have had the opportunity to aid in the Captain’s own rescue attempt.

“Navy Made Split-Second Decision to Open Fire in Captain Rescue”

“Capt. Richard Phillips was in “imminent danger” of being killed before a Navy commander made a split second decision to shoot the pirates in an operation authorized by President Barack Obama, Vice Adm. Bill Gortney said.

He said the pirates were armed with AK-47s and small-caliber pistols and were pointing the rifles at the captain when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge gave the order to open fire.

Gortney, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said the White House had given “very clear guidance and authority” to take action if Phillips’ life was in danger.”

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514775,00.html

You’re right. That link seems buried. Lots of stuff criticizing Hillary for that when you google it, but not just the speech by itself.

I understand that a lot of people are giving Phillips kudos for keeping a cool and level head in all this. But our guys did a really good job. And as Larry stated, Obama also kept his head and didn’t get in the way. I don’t have much confidence in this administration, but no one should be carping or qualifying on this one. The results were the best any of us could have hoped for.

I do give credit for what Obama did. He authorized the use of force if the commander on the scene believed the captain’s life was in danger. On the other hand, I can’t imagine any Commander in Chief not giving standing orders to that effect in a similiar situation.

I absolutely give credit for calm and smart actions by the Captain and our Navy and the Navy’s Commander that seized the opportunity to aide in the Captains escape. If the Navy Commander and crew were not glued to the Captains every move, and the Captain not be as smart to see this was his only change, this situation otherwise would not have happened.

This is 100% off-topic. Do that again, and you’re on moderation. Do it twice, and you’re banned. We have lots of open threads for off-topic items.

The report in the link says..

“The official contradicted earlier reports that the captain jumped into the water off Somalia on Sunday.”

It seems like the captain jumped once on Friday night/Saturday morning but when rescued on Sunday he was in the lifeboat (i.e., no second jump).

I was watching a DOD news conference on Fox and the admiral they were speaking to said the SEALs shot the pirates then shimmmied down the tow line to the life boat and got the captain who was tied up in the lifeboat.

Anyway, the capatin is still quite a hero!

LOL!!! Obama had no choice! What was he going to do?? There were no options available … someone else said it right … we are still in the same place we where before … and Obama is still the same n u t as before … let’s thank the captain and the SEALS who actually planned and carried out the operation.

All Obama had to do was say “go.” Big deal.

Well Said Libby.

If you want to give O credit for not getting in the way and going along with the judgement of the professionals, I guess no one can stop you. Maybe he will learn something from this experience. Something like—we need skilled military forces. We can’t cut them from our budget. And in the end, America is going to be alone when it comes to protecting its security and its interests.

I agree Elizabeth. The decision was a bit of a “no-brainer”.

The real daring-do was from the Maersk captain, Maersk crew and the Navy.

Whoo hoo!!! Obama!! He’s the MAN! He “didn’t get in the way or create obstacles”….Obama’s BRILLIANT!!! He’s the smartest president EVAH!!! Give him a gold star, a trophy….something!!! OMG, Obama, I was soooo wrong about you, I’m sorry, really….I mean he actually had the courage to get out of the way so other people could do their jobs?? He really does rank up there with Ghandi, what a man!

Well well the news is comig out. Apparently the Maserk Alabama was under attack for over a week by pirates. President Obama only sent in the Navy after the captain was captured. I saw a sailor on NBC news shouting that.

I guess the Onwer of the ship had a role in delayin this help also.

Dear Catherine,
Yes,I understand how you feel about Obama but not*why*you feel that way. Would you mind in a succinct way, without indulging in innuendo or false accusations outline for me your reasons for the way you feel. Let me give an example…If someone asked me why I disdained George Bush, I would probably start with the secretiveness of his administration. I would go on to add that he manifested arrogance when he said to an intelligence agent who went to his vacation home to personally warn him that we were going to be hit, “Ok, you’ve covered your ass.”
I would mention my impression that he panicked when we WERE hit. I would speak of allowing bin Laden to escape. I would mention that he appointed people to federal agencies who were incompetent and failed to lead their agencies in an effective manner. I would mention the torture, which has led to endangering our troops more and has assisted in recruiting for terrorist groups. I would probably put those in bullets to make it easier for people to respond to them and critique them…Your turn.

Who is saying that, imustprotest? I haven’t read “one” post saying Obama is brilliant or that he’s the smartest President “Evah.”

Get a grip!

Better yet read Catherine’s post then reread Larry’s post. Unless your Obama hatred blinds you to a really positive outcome, something we can all actually say: okay guys, you did a good, good thing.

It’s Easter Sunday for Christ’s sake! If you cannot celebrate a good outcome then I feel very sorry for you.

What concerns me is that their negotiating ended and that seemed to be the only effors they were making, besides the 2nd standing order if the Captains life was in danger, they could respond.

So, the negotiations ended and now the lifeboat was immenently close to shore. Once they arrived on their shores, they would have been well protected and off to their camps. If Capt Phillips was not so brave and daring to attempt another escape, the Navy Commander and his crew would not have had their chance to fire upon the Pirates.

Apparently I was correct in believing that this was Obama’s only plans. He did not want them to make the agressive act of going to get the Captain.

thank goodness for the Captain and the Commander and his crew.

Not true. Obama had lots of options. He could have said, “no military role.” He did not. C’mon, accept it for what it is.

I had the same reaction. So Obummer actually did something right, by doing nothing and staying out of the way. Well, that certainly suits his style. I wonder if he is going to bring this up when he speaks at the Annapolis graduation, and if so, what will he say? Should be interesting. I will wait to say he did right when his input is more than staying out of the way.

Another twist in the Story. The pirate captured is only 16 yrs old. American Navy needed 3 destroyers to rescue 1 American captain from a 16 yr old Pirate nd 3 other teenagers.

We try children that old as adults here in the United States. What are you trying to say?

That doesn’t negate the facts, KmX, that this time we got the result we wanted–the immediate crisis is over, Captain Phillips is alive and our guys did a damn fine job.

I refer you to catherine’s post, the first one:

“we cannot let our emotions hijack our reasoning.”

This isn’t a time for carping. It’s a time for Americans to say: Thank God!

“It’s about the man behind me” That sentiment moves me so much. And we witnessed it in action these last few days.

You got this right. Barky acted like a president this weekend. Lets give him is due……and brace for runaway inflation.

Susan, I either forgot or, did not read Larry’s comments regarding his rationale for supporting HRC at that point in the primary process. Can you provide a link?

Also, this discussion about whether to credit BO’s conduct in this situation reminds me of this scene I unfortunately see all too often in the inner city public schools where I teach. Parents should take care of their babies. Yet, when the teenage father of a baby participates in the child’s care, people often laud his conduct effusively and unconditionally, whereas they often adopt a scornful affect toward the teenage mother (not just for getting pregnant but also for things like, holding her child this way versus that, or over-dressing or under-dressing the child for the weather…). The only appropriate response of a U.S. President lacking both the experience and the knowledge as to how to resolve this situation wherein a U.S. citizen transporting cargo by sea was kidnapped by Somali pirates, is to defer to the expertise and experience of others. Are we to bestow kudos because, this time, he did not screw up?

Obama did only the minimum required. Giving authority to rescue Phillips is the minimum that ought to be expected of any commander in chief. What is the big deal about this? What other authority could he have given/ Please people, give credit where it is due – to those that actually carried out this operation.
Anyway, it is interesting that after having stayed quite for 2 days and letting Sec Jones and Sec Clinton issue statements, he is now trying to take credit….

Read my response above, to Susan.

Oh brother – there you go again. you really think that Hillary was behind any of this??? You are nuts. Just leave it at Larry’s kind words – a job well done by the President’s call, the general and the Navy.

I agree w Libby….

I did celebrate a good outcome, earlier in the day. It was the notion that Obama should be applauded for it that was debated on this blog all day. Innocent and thoughtful posts that questioned Obama’s part in this beyond, standing aside and doing nothing was met with attacks by trolls and by the owner of this blog himself. So, thank you, I do not need to “get a grip”, perhaps you do Peggy.

As they say in Chicago, in critical stage of the ball game. Just get out of the way and let Michael Jordan do his moves. That was exactly what Obambi did. He just got out of the way and let the military and navy seals do its job.

I am sure he has a ready explanation in case the rescue goes awry.

Okay obot,
He did quite a lot. He sat on his arse and picked his kids pets while *our* navy mounted a daring operation. That do?

Wow….he gave authority…wonder who advised him to do that??

Glad those who were actually there doing something were successful and the Captain is safe.

You know what? UM. I don’t give a shit who takes credit. Captain Phillips is alive, three pirates are dead and our guys [whether Republican or Democrat] did a damn fine job.

This doesn’t end here. The pirate situation is still on Obama’s plate. How will he handle it? I don’t have a clue.

But right now? We ended up with the result that “every” American should want. There will be plenty of crises coming down the pike.

Keep your powder dry. This is “not” the moment.

There is no way he could have said that.

Mr. Johnson, might I ask if there is any depth to “The personnel capable of doing the shooting”?

Is it un-realistic to want all Navy vessels to have some “teams” on board?

If you were to comment (or could in general) on the distrubution of the required personnel, how does being streched so thin, effect ops execution?

I have been reading recently that special-ops logistics support are under-manned and under equipped.

I missed the Navy brief watching the Masters, but thank you for your observations and the matrix, hope you able to watch the tie breakers.

speaking of fascism…

FLDemFem, I think you have a reading comprehension problem. Who says the president “did nothing”? Didn’t Larry just explain that the President authorized the use of lethal force? That’s doing something.

What would’ve satisfied you, FLDemFem? If Obama had squeezed off a kill shot himself?

This *is* the moment to revere and honor our brave men and women of the navy. Get it?

What a wonderful day for the Captain and his family and fellow crew members! Brave Captain and Brave Navy always willing to put themselves in harm’s way. Hopefully the big ships won’t let up and will keep the pressure on these pirates.
As for President Bendover, (sadly, I’m still gettin’ over his “non-bow” to the Saudi King), he did his best to create a win-win situation for himself, as always.
1) Keep a quiet distance and appear to be running the show from behind the scenes if the op is a success. (See Wizard of Oz)
2) Keep a quiet distance and create even more distance if the op concludes in disaster. (See Wizard of Oz)
3) Watch for the release of photos similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis photos — “The President and the Pirate Crisis.” (most effective in b/w)
4) Watch for the one hour “specials” on the cable news networks. (Industrial strength ear plugs needed for Larry King.)
5) Wait for the next “one topic only” press conference. “I’m sorry, you want to talk about the economy and those darn tea parties, but we’re only going to discuss my leadership in the ‘Pirate Crisis.’ ”
5) And listen for Joe Biden: “I told you he’d be tested. I told you he had ears of steel.”
Obama’s administration is an endless ad campaign, ready to roll out in any circumstance with the appropriate logo, slogan, slogo, etc.
But remember, the leopard does not change his spots. He remains the character he showed us all last year.

The AP is reporting that President Obama gave the order to use military force to rescue the hostage, that is misleading.
WASHINGTON (AP)—Administration officials say President Barack Obama approved the military operation that rescued a U.S. captain held hostage by Somali pirates.
The officials say Obama ordered the Defense Department to use military resources to rescue Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast.
He did affirm the military’s authorization to use force if the captain’s life was in danger, but they already would have had that authorization as part of their standard rules of engagement. If there are innocents about to be slaughtered the same reasoning that authorizes self defense also covers an imminent execution unless the ROE specifically forbid it.
The AP is making it sound like there was an active rescue ordered by the President. It was not, there was an imminent threat and the local commander gave the order to fire.
Good on Obama for ensuring their authorization was clear, but let’s also be clear that he did not authorize or order an active rescue attempt.
April 12, 2009

Obama had squeezed off a kill shot himself?

Funny. And yes I would.

Give credit to where credit is due… the navy seals and the commanders.

Now that the mission was succesful, he comes out in the open then lets the media release the headline…Obama approved force twice. I wonder what the headline would be if the mission went awry…..use of force was approved by the commanders without Obama’s knowledge.

Can we really trust the media?

Yeah, I get it. So, let’s honor them instead of playing politics!

Just for a wee second.

Wait until the UN condemns the death of the pirates … and … what happens if there is some action taken against the more than 200 being held in Somalia? You think that Barky is going to stand up straight and tall then? He is still the gutless wonder who went to bed the night before last dreaming of a free portuegese water hound and cursing the fact that the Pope didn’t think as much of Caroline Kennedy as he does. Flipping a coin would get you the same liklihood of a “good” result. It still took the navy to get the outcome.

I don’t trust the media and another report from Fox says essentially the Captain saved himself. He jumped overboard which gave the Navy a clear shot to shoot the pirates. They could have done that wo BO’s permission.

I am glad the Captain is safe and hopefully this will send a message that Americans are still a force to reckon with, regardless of who is sitting in the Oval office.

We have a great military…gee, is cutting military spending such a great idea??

yes, as i was predicting and I posted up thread too. Yes, Obama gave authority to use force if the Captains life was in danger. They had no plans to agressively rescume him. They were negotiating and those ended. They were getting close to shore which would have meant they would have been safe on their own turf. If the Cpt didn’t attempt escape again and the Commander seeing that effort to give the orders to open fire on the pirates, we would not be here discussing the Cptn’s new freedom.

I’m just watching this play out. Seen it before. We had a joke about the “intelligence” community I won’t repeat.

Let’s just say we had a few run-ins with the alphabet soup groups.

Concur. Acknowledging correct action does not equate to unwavering support of previous grievances and general lack of trust.

It sounds like the captain got the chance to re-do his first attempt and the Navy was ready to take advantage of it this time

Very glad he’s free in any case

I am wondering whether the Seals have a different perspective of what “danger” looked like versus 0bummer … what do you think?

All credit to the brave Captain for his second escape attempt, and the subsequent covering fire of the SEAL team. Otherwise, we’d probably still be sitting here waiting…

Very glad he’s free in any case

Amen!

Wow..how screwed up is this?

Lets put this in perspective…

We have the huge US navy…
and one small boat with a handful of Somalian pirates…
The highly trained navy seals did what they are trained to do..and they did it well! They got the job done!It is a wonderful end to a not so pretty story..

However, let’s not canonize Obama.

Obama..did what he is supposed to do,
no more, no less…
He gave the order to get it done, because no one else could…
He did what he is supposed to do!!!!!
This is part of his job!
I am sure that he will surface and bask in the media afterglow of this rescue..no need to blow a photo op…

All this notwithstanding…
Lets be thankful he did not deem that arrogant Americans did something wrong and brought this upon themselves…

In my opinion this is our Navy’s victory, period. Captain Phillips is an exemplary sea captain and American.

Obama did NOT authorize force from the beginning. FOX reporting now that the authorization came only shortly before the successful shots were taken. Gen. Jim Jones to be credited for securing the authorization from Obama. I knew it!

Obama did NOT authorize force from the beginning. FOX reporting now that the authorization came only moments before the successful shots were taken. Gen. Jim Jones to be credited for securing the authorization from Obama. I knew it!

It ok Viking at least we know where the credit goes…
I think we also know where the credit will go if anything negative comes from this.

Wow, reading this thread has been an…..experience. In the future, if events like this pop up y’all can save time by jointly posting one sentence:

“Most of us here really do not like Obama, and if anything good comes of anything he does, it will not be because of him.”

Now, Happy Easter, y’all.

You’re not Keith G; you’re Keith O.

It would have been nice if he had called the family of the hostage. As I said, he did nothing.

Obama gets credit for not tripping on the way to the red phone!

Good thing they didn’t call him while he was watching basketball.

In other words, he didn’t fuck up following procedure. Wow, that’s some Leadership Skill he got goin’ on!!!!!!!!!!

CAROL HAKA

No … you don’t understand us at all

Most of us here were paying attention when 0bama cheated his way into a job for which he is sooooooo unqualified.really do not like Obama, and if anything good comes of anything he does, it will not be because of him happens during the four years he is the Resident, it will not be as a result of his “skills,” but rather the gifts and experience of others.

See? That’s how we think.

It sure would be nice if Obama recognizes the absolutely phenomonal fighting force we have in our military and reconsiders cutting funding to them. As a taxpayer, I want my dollars going to them to keep our guys fully funded to remain the top guns they are. It will be a big world of hurt if America loses it’s edge in that arena. Our guys/gals in our military are the best.

Excellent!

I’m glad this went well in this case. But still, if I’m ever in a similar situation, I hope to God my life does not depend on what Obama does or doesn’t do.

I’m glad the Captain is free too! It’s a rainy, chilly day where I live. Although it’s Easter Sunday, things didn’t start out well around our household. One of our cats was missing this morning and apparently must have ran out late last night. This afternoon, our cat returned (undamaged and hungry).

We turned on the news and found out the brave Captain was free. I’m certain many people were involved in the rescue – some of whom we may never know about. Also what about all those “prayers” for his safe return? All in all there is much to be thankful for and if President Obama played his part “well” in this operation, I’m willing to give him his “due”.

My thoughts too. He may decide just to keep his mouth shut because he sees the end result is what we’ve been waiting for. If he makes an apology, scratch that, he wouldn’t dare at this point, that would put in on a dangerous list.

Viking,
You are wrong. Just because Fox reports it does not make it reality. The Emergency Assault ROE was in place on Friday. They simply had to wait until the SEALs arrived and could get into position.

Obama as gets credit for this one. The operation was flawless and 3 out of 4 pirates were killed. I do believe all future pirates will think twice before hijacking another vessel sailing under the american flag.
When my spouse initially heard about the pirates taking a American flagged ship he said the pirates must have made a mistake and not known it was a american flagged ship. I replied that they were probable channeling the Japanese after pearl harbor and said ” I am afraid we have awoken the sleeping giant.”

SEALS KILL A$$. Hooray! Hooray!

I suspect putting the lifeboat under tow had the effect of setting sniper targets at a controlled range, minimizing lateral motion of the smaller vessel, and minimizing variations in the downward angle of fire.

UBM has always equated gum-beating with action–that’s why his comments are so laughable.

Larry I would never argue with you and don’t mean to quibble with you now. FOX just had a retired Naval Commander on camera who stated that the order to execute came moments before the shots were taken. He further stated that Gen. Jim Jones is to be credited for securing the authorization. I didn’t get a chance to get his name or exact rank, sorry. But this is more than FOX parroting inaccurate reports.

Obama was “present”. So what’s new?

And he’s full of shit because I’ve spoken with someone who was witness to what went down.

In this case it is Fox spreading gossip.

right on beebop!

The Boston Red Sox have a great manager. He’s built a strong team with alot of talent to win games. But when Dustin Pedroia won MVP of the American League last year, the trophy didn’t go to manager Francona. It was awarded to the man who made the plays: Pedroia.
That’s why I see this day as belonging to the Navy and Captain Phillips.

Another thing —
I don’t think we should be saying “Mission accomplished” while there are still hostages and still pirates at large.

I like that…
you are right!..
he is always..”present” and not much more!

Ok. Sorry to have been spreading disinformation, that was not my intent.

I wholeheartedly concur..
But you know that the media whore is going to be out there sniggling for whatever positive media coverage that he can..photo ops, invite to the White House, a visit to the Victory Garden, a meeting with Bo the Residential dog…and whatever else you can think of…

Very well said TY

Obama did not do a damn thing except give 2 orders on friday, saturday that were not followed until Sunday

The military speifically told him that it was too dangerous to attempt to rescue the Captain.

Nobody argues otherwise.

The significant thing about Obama’s deadly-force authorization is that our “rules of engagement” involving Somalian pirates will now be seen to have changed. In the future, it will be assumed that we will kill pirates holding hostages whenever the opportunity arises. Hostage situations are going to be hair-triggered from the moment they begin.

interesting reading your post.
and i agree the system worked because obama didn’t get in the way.

For a time I suspect, since these people seem to act more in the interested of obtaining reward then hating the USA, and since as far as I know most ships are not flying (although if I am correct some foreign flag ships might just begin to start temporarily flying Uncle Sams Colors when crossing troubled waters) the US flag it may just make practical sense to avoid are ships.

Not necessarily. So far these guys are money driven. No live hostage, no money.

If the al quaeda types enter into it, then yes. But if that happens its not a result of THIS operation.

Careful! You’re not dealing with a rational audience here. Note that the commenter to whom you respond claims to be ready to give President Obama credit for any action well done — but then declares that he is “destroying our reputation.” Odd, given that Right Track percentages are way up domestically, even as world opinion of the US has grown tremendously since January 21.

She’s the Secretary of State–do you think she wasn’t involved?! She wasn’t at Bill’s side for many similar decisions? No–but Obama has some kind of expert military intelligence. Geez…

To me, it looks like the professionals–Gates, the DOD, and the SEALS, knew what they were doing. So what if they bring it all to O and said “OK?” and he says, “OK.” If I had no clue and a team of experienced experts told me what the procedure was, I wouldn’t get in the damn way either. That is not leadership. And I don’t think he would have been blamed if it had not gone down well. The usual justifications and rationalizations for Obama had probably already been written, just in case. When he does something that is unpopular and requires real political courage, then I’ll give him credit. I do not see this as an example of that. Kudos to the SEALS.

Bug… meet windshield. That is what the “pirates” need to take away from this encounter. There is not really any other option for the world’s last superpower. It doesn’t matter who the President is. Does the man define the job… or the job define the man? I think it is a blend of the two. You can’t have it one extreme or the other.

Already our allies are calling our new President a Pantywaist already. World wide there are more and more negative editorials and headlines about him.
Even though I wasnt a Bush supporter I will admit he did not lose world support so quickly.

Docelder-

I agree, wholeheartedly. I just wanted to point out Cynic’s flawed logic of equating ‘pirate’ filth from ideologically driven, suicide willing, filth. Bottom line despite the type of filth we’re dealing with, Offense, Offense, Offense.
No doubt, plenty will disagree but lawlessness and barbarism are just different points on the same continuum. To the extant that different methods of offense effectively operate, fine by me.

‘extent’, not ‘extant’. sorry don’t know how that happened.

This is simple as 1 2 3…
4 Somalian Pirates CANNOT hold a superpower hostage at any time. To allow that to happen is laughable. There should be no question ever…you take an American hostage, and you can bend over and kiss your a$$ good bye…
Bug meet windshield indeed!

I AGREE!

I gotta believe that Cap’t. Phillips was as befuddled as the rest of us when he managed to get clear of the ‘lifeboat’ vessel and instead of the U.S. Navy obliterating it, he was recaptured. Sorry Larry if I’m annoying you but I still don’t get it and have a hard time believing that our U.S. Navy wasn’t glued with surveillance and weaponry on hand to handle that contingency. No offense but WTF?

No different from the jokes about the first Space Shuttle disaster.

Q. What does NASA stand for?

A. Need Another Seven Astronauts.

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2009/04/how-the-rescue-happened.html

HOW THE RESCUE HAPPENED

I just finished listening to the press conference w/ ADM Gortney about the rescue of Captain Phillips. At the time it happened the USS Bainbridge was towing the lifeboat to calmer waters as the sea state was deteriorating. One of the pirates was on board the Bainbridge as the talks about obtaining Phillip’s release continued. The lifeboat was approx. 25 m behind the Bainbridge when snipers on the fantail observed one of the pirates in the pilot house of the lifeboat pointing an AK-47 at the back of a tied up Phillips and the other two pirates on board were visible (at least shoulders and heads). The standing authority gave them clearance to engage the pirates if the life of the captain was in imminent danger. The on scene commander deemed this to be true and gave the order to fire. All three bad guys were taken out and then a rigid inflatable boat went to the lifeboat to retrieve Phillips. It is unknown at this point whether the shooters were SEALs or Marine Scout Snipers as both would have been available. This was not a rescue attempt ordered by National Command Authority i.e. the President. It was a reaction by the on scene commander under standard authority to safeguard the life of a hostage.
The AP is reporting that President Obama gave the order to use military force to rescue the hostage, that is misleading.
WASHINGTON (AP)—Administration officials say President Barack Obama approved the military operation that rescued a U.S. captain held hostage by Somali pirates.
The officials say Obama ordered the Defense Department to use military resources to rescue Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast.
He did affirm the military’s authorization to use force if the captain’s life was in danger, but they already would have had that authorization as part of their standard rules of engagement. If there are innocents about to be slaughtered the same reasoning that authorizes self defense also covers an imminent execution unless the ROE specifically forbid it.

The AP is making it sound like there was an active rescue ordered by the President. It was not, there was an imminent threat and the local commander gave the order to fire.

Good on Obama for ensuring their authorization was clear, but let’s also be clear that he did not authorize or order an active rescue attempt.
April 12, 2009

———————————————-

Yet again Obama gets credit IMO he does not deserve. What a bust. The Captain said he jumped because he felt like no one was going to come save him. I don’t care, I think this was handled badly by Obama.

Authorizing the use of force “if the Captain was in danger?” Do you all not realize how disturbed this is? What part of being held hostage, with an AK47 at your head, isn’t “in danger?” Are you people KIDDING ME? Obama was “mulling it over” while this man had to jump off the boat to save himself. If it was your father/husband/brother you all would be enraged. Stop giving this jerk a free ride.

They already had that authority for Christ’s sake. They have it when any “innocent” is in danger. The fact that there was no rescue plan shows we are pansies. Period. The media can spin it all they want, but like I said…if it was your family member you would not have liked the way it went down – do you all want to speculate as to what would have happened had the Captain NOT jumped ship ON HIS OWN???? Get it? There’s a big difference between actively doing something to rescue an American Captain with a GUN to his HEAD, as opposed to the guy jumping a ship and the military using the exact force bestowed on them already. Period. Also, does anyone know why it took 2 hours for Obama to respond? Playing with the puppy maybe?

Thank you, I’mFedUp! This matter is being played (big surprise). BIG DISTRACTION – does this enhance or minimize pirate activity.

Thank you Libby.

Didn’t Joe Biden say there would be a major incident within 6 months of Obama’s election?

Well there ya go and everything, except for those other pesky hostages, went fine.

Just like Bush Obama gets kudos just when his approval ratings are in free fall.

Hmmmm.

Peggy Sue, yes it is Easter Sunday and I said a prayer today for the Captain’s family. That doesn’t mean I have to give the Fraud a freebie. We don’t have to agree with you and from what I’ve read the truth of it will eventually hurt the Fraud anyway. Regardless, yes it’s a great day to celebrate that an American had the courage to save himself with the help of our brave military. I don’t consider the White House involved. That’s my prerogative. But God bless Captain Phillips and his family!

I am not Catherine, but I know her reasons for the way she feels about O, as I’ve been on this blog many times. I think that if you would read some of the past posts and comments on various subjects, you could easily know the many reasons most of us have for feeling much disdain for the current POTUS. And by the way, many of us also felt the same way you do about W.

Wow, my last post just got got butchered. Larry, you are creeping me out. Should I take my leave? Seriously.

Do not argue.

Go to the top and what else is going on.

got it, thank you.

Who said anything about giving Obama a “freebie”? He gave the “go” then stood aside and let our guys do what had to be done.

Look, whether you or I like it or not, Barack Obama is the President of the United States. If he had tied the hands of our military, done a bow to the UN [the body who insists the military must eyeball a crime at sea before acting], I’d be the first one to scream.

But he didn’t do that. Obama was willing to pull the trigger, give our Navy a “go.” And I’m grateful for that.

Doesn’t mean I’ve had an Obama epipahny. Just that this time, he did the right thing and the right thing happened. And I’m thankful for small things, particualrly when the life of a fellow citizen is involved.

There’s something to be said about having perspective. I still think Obama’s weak spot is the national economy and this endless spending.

Today’s event is a blip on the radar. But it’s a good blip. And we need that! Now, we wait and see if Barack Obama is willing to lead in the international pirate situation or fall back to a position of safety.

You didn’t read what I wrote down thread probably Peggy Sue. I don’t agree about Obama. It doesn’t mean that I can’t be objective about it if he ever does anything right. I don’t call “standing aside” and letting someone else do a job they are already empowered to do really a brilliant move. As opposed to what? He’s lucky that we still have the military who protect us and who acted on their own when they saw an AK47 pointed at the Captain’s head. The Navy doesn’t need approval to use force at that point. Are you saying that if you are standing in the road, and someone has an AK47 your head, that the cops can’t shoot your attacker? Or do they have to call the White House first????? Same thing here. The Captain jumped himself, the Navy stepped in, and it was over. I don’t get the applauding the fraud like he’s some big hero for the Captain having to take matters into his own hands, since there was no rescue mission in the works (and Obama was “mulling over” the situation) and then the Navy did what they are paid to do in the first place. Big deal. Had the Captain been killed it would have shown Obama for what he is. A coward. We’re lucky this one turned out okay, but he’s lucky the Captain wasn’t my father. I wouldn’t be standing around blowing smoke up Obama’s ass if my father had to jump ship to get out of this situation. We’re Americans and we have officially been demeaned and weakened by Obama all over the globe. Just because this one turned out okay, yes, we should thank God and be happy that on Easter Sunday we have good news. But I will NOT give Obama credit he does NOT deserve. And, he’s not my President.

What happens after stinky praises the successful rescue and then apologizes for the unfortunate loss of life in this incident?

PS Peggy Sue, I think Obama’s weak and extended response was due to two facts…who these pirates are (his own) and the fact that he believes that all of this should be UN governed. That is exactly why I think the delayed response. So sad. And now people are giving him undue credit. Sigh.

[...] No Quarter, Larry Johnson, who obviously knows infinitely more than I do about the inner workings of the government than I do [...]

The issue for me is whether or not the Usurper did something heroic here, and it seems not. He was following protocol. The protocol required approval and signature from the President, and he provided that signature. There was no logistical or tactical involvment on his part. Any monkey could have been in the oval office and provided that signature. On top of that, there is absolutely NOTHING in the Usurper’s history and experience that would instill any confidence that he can handle a crisis like this. NOTHING.

No, the heroism goes to the Navy seals and the Captain. God bless them.

What in the hell are you talking about? The pirates were his own?

Why? Because they’re Muslim? Please! Use your rational brain for once.

And btw, no one with any sense is giving Obama undue credit. He did what I would expect any POTUS to do: he acted on the behalf of a US citizen in a very dicey situation. It could have gone very bad. We ought to be grateful it didn’t.

There’s a point at which the Obama hatred begins to sound nutzoid. You’re getting there.

I didn’t insult you Peggy Sue…I stated facts. I don’t have to agree with you and most people I know agree. Not even the news, which I have watched all night, is giving Obama this big cheering what a hero he saved the day nonsense. No, he did not do what any President would do. That man was in grave danger with a gun pointed at his head. He escaped once, then had to escape again. There was no strategic plan to rescue him. Period. Deny that one. Any other President would have taken matters into their own hands, not stepped aside and signed an order or two, and cared enough about Phillips to do more. I have stated my theories on why he didn’t act more quickly. This coming right after a week where he went on the America Sucks World Tour and apologized for America all over the globe. Then he bowed to the Saudi King, now this. Makes you wonder…And it only DIDN’T go bad in a few split seconds…do you realize that? That a gun was at that man’s head? You can bloviate about it, but even the Captain said he jumped “because he didn’t believe anyone was coming for him.” Nice feeling for an American out there with a gun at his head…feeling that “no one was coming for him.” And they weren’t. Sad, very sad.

I just hate that President Obama, no matter what he does. I don’t think we should give him a chance to succeed! Let’s just hope he fails so we can get back in power in 2012!

Who’s “we?” The wonderful Republicans???

Hahahaha.

According to NYT, the captain was allowed to come within an inch of his life on Obama’s order.

At dusk, a single tracer bullet was seen fired from the lifeboat. The intent was unclear, but it ratcheted up the tension and Seal snipers at the stern rail of the Bainbridge fixed night-vision scopes to their high-powered rifles, getting ready for action.

What they saw was the head and shoulders of two of the pirates emerging from the rear hatch of the lifeboat. Through the window of the front hatch they saw the third pirate, pointing his AK-47 at the back of Captain Phillips, who was seen to be tied up.

That was it: the provocation that fulfilled the president’s order to act only if the captain’s life was in imminent danger, and the opportunity of having clear shots at each captor. The order was given. Senior defense officials, themselves marveling at the skill of the snipers, said each took a target and fired one shot.

What if someone had missed?

*****A

Now that’s a canned, planted comment by a bot . . . if I ever saw one. Just sayin’.

it should never have gotten that far IMO. Oh well. Obama’s lack of intelligence as far as our defense will sadly become very clear soon. Gird your loins!

Of course that was also an option, but not the best option apparently.

Obama just did what his advisors told him to and then finished his St. Louis pizza.

At least he said the correct words and hasn’t taken credit. so far.

Check out this military blog:

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2009/04/how-the-rescue-happened.html

It states in part:

He did affirm the military’s authorization to use force if the captain’s life was in danger, but they already would have had that authorization as part of their standard rules of engagement. If there are innocents about to be slaughtered the same reasoning that authorizes self defense also covers an imminent execution unless the ROE specifically forbid it.The AP is making it sound like there was an active rescue ordered by the President. It was not, there was an imminent threat and the local commander gave the order to fire. Good on Obama for ensuring their authorization was clear, but let’s also be clear that he did not authorize or order an active rescue attempt.

As a military veteran, I think that sounds closer to the actual truth. I will give credit to Obama for remaining silent, especially during the negotiation phase. His involvement would have significantly “upped the ante.”

But the real credit goes to the Navy. The SEALS simply pulled off a flawless operation.

Apparently Obama said the US needed help with the pirates in AP news article posted on comcast.net.

Not sure where he was going with that one unless it was another “America is weak” BS statement.

WTF?

>>> What if someone had missed?

But no one did. This is why we send trained professionals.

Well, I don’t think this incident is the huge test for Obama that Joe Biden was warning us about. I think that test is in the near future.

I believe the speech Sec. Clinton gave prior to the Iraq vote is in NQ archives 2007.

Signs that SEAL Team Six was amongst the shooters:

Apr 12 2009, 6:19 pm by Marc Ambinder
SEAL Team Six v. The Pirates

Background information provided by the White House provides an intriguing clue as to the identity of the Navy SEAL team that rescued Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates. After the mission, Obama telephoned several military officials, including “Vice Admiral William McRaven, Commander Joint Special Operations Command.” Interesting choice; it means that at least some of the Navy Seals who participated in the rescue were part a classified special missions unit — the Naval Special Warfare Development Group — DevGru, popularly known as “SEAL Team Six.”

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/04/seal_team_six_v_the_pirates.php

JSOC, that’s the evil assassination ring you know. The way some spokesmen have talked you can figure that some non-SEAL operators were also involved.

You’re crazy. A rescue operation would only have meant certain death. The pirates had threatened to kill their hostage and were obviously prepared/preparing to follow through.

Even Reagan STOOD DOWN to Italian authorities in the Achille Lauro incident in his demand that they extradite Abu Abbas of the PLO, which kept the hijacker free for 20 years.

No, I don’t understand. I see no logic to your rage. Go back to my comment. There is nothing about George Bush’s dog, nothing about his wife, no blather about innuendo regarding his birth place or who his mother really was. YES, I objected to the demonization of John Kerry by the Lying Swift Boaters, especially when it was apparent that Bush himself, not only used the Texas National Guard to dodge going to Vietnam but failed to complete his responsibilities to TANG, but that was then. After he became President, I thought to myself, “OK, how bad can this really be?” “The guy is a moderate.” Then I discovered how bad it could be. For example, never in my lifetime did I *ever* imagine that in this country, first led by a man who watched his troops being tortured and put to the sword by the British, and THEN still understood that real Americans don’t torture, and INSTRUCTED HIS TROOPS ACCORDINGLY, expect that we would be discussing, debating how much *TORTURE* is OK for us to do…Then there was the secretiveness of Bush’s administration, the incredible hypocrisy, where people opposed to attacking Iraq were demonized as “traitors” while Cheney and Rove orchestrated the outing of a CIA agent who, of all THINGS, was apparently a weapons expert on Iranian weapons…UNBELIEVABLE. So, induldge me. Write down what it is that you so despise about Obama. So far, I have found almost nothing but bull shit from the choir, here. There seems to be no substance whatsoever to your reasons for hating Obama. I’d like to see something that can be debated, something other than his wife’s legs and his new dog. Come on, let’s see what you have.
Gug

Can you offer any evidence to support your assertion? When I check The Google, I find only references to a single British headline, which has apparently been picked up by a relative handful of domestic bloggers who don’t like President Obama. On the other hand, supermajorities of Americans approve both of his overall performance thus far as president and of his recent travels.

For example, here’s a CBS News/NYT poll from April 6 (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/06/opinion/polls/main4923710.shtml):

Sixty-seven percent say world leaders respect Mr. Obama, while 18 percent say they do not respect the president. That’s a sharp contrast to the response when this question was asked about Mr. Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, in July 2006: Just 30 percent then said the president is respected by the leaders of other countries.

Mr. Obama’s overall approval rating, meanwhile, has hit a new high of 66 percent, up from 64 percent last month. His disapproval rating stands at 24 percent. Nearly all Democrats and most independents approve of the way the president is handling his job, while only 31 percent of Republicans approve.

Also, from the WSJ (http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/04/06/cnn-poll-obama-overseas-trip-improving-us-image-abroad/):
Nearly eight in ten Americans said President Barack Obama’s first foreign trip is improving the U.S. image abroad, according to the latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll.

As I’m sure you know, there’s always danger of confirmation bias in a cloistered group.

Perhaps it comforts you to find others not only willing but eager to criticize President Obama when he is being praised by the supermajority of Americans — and, more to the point here, when America’s worldwide reputation is growing by leaps and bounds thanks in large part because President Obama replaced President Bush.

I would have agreed with you, Larry had it not been for the fact that Obama did not want to act early on because of the fear of failure. It took the Navy seals strong arming him for Obama to act(Navy seal appearing on CNN saying in many words that it was the lack of political will on the part of the administration that is keeping the military from acting). This is cowardice in the highest degree.

So no, Larry. I DON’T agree that Obama deserves any credit.

I think most of us were just looking from some type of statement that showed Obama knew about the situation, and cared that it was an America vessel.

Most presidents would have at least asked for Americans to keep these men in our prayers, especially since it was Easter time.

So where did we get all our information from? The media seemed to know more than Obama. The media where the ones asking for prayers. The media were the ones assuring us that something was being done.

I guess I was expecting too much of our President Pantywaist. After all it was Easter weekend and Obama shouldnt be disturbed.

Same thing for you, HAKA. Please outline what it is about Obama that has resulted in your outrage. He was smart enough to get nominated, having started out as a definite dark horse. He didn’t have the baggage that Hillary, as bright as she is, has. His campaign engendered massive use of small donations and the massive involvement of Blacks, most certainly a positive for our nation since they have not typically been as active at the polls as Whites. His comments were thoughtful throughout the campaign and he did not react to the vociferous attacks by the Repugnants by going tit for tat. It is fair to question some of his actions. His Sec of Treas is out of Wall Street and was part of the failure but the financial situation is so incredibly complex that we cannot judge the performance of the administration yet. So far, the market is up 1000 points though most certainly still highly volatile. So exactly what policies of the guy so outrage you?
Gug

You’d rather it be Sarkozy, right? Based on his batting 1000 at this point, maybe you’d better reconsider.
Gug

I agree with you on that, Ninja Kitty!

Well said!

Exactly RIGHT. There was an op-ed in the Daily Telegraph by Gerald Warner that called him a “pantywaist.” The rest of the hits I found were from wingnut blogs op-eds and please note that some showed a monkey and referred to him as a “surrender monkey.” Is that what you people here stand for, blatant racism?
But, these comments are what so many of you want to hear….When you come to believe something, everything you see validates your belief. The polls in Europe did not, however, validate that. Neither do the polls done here.

Sure is.

Thanks for calling that one out.

Thank you Larry for all of this information. It concurs with my very limited knowledge of sea faring and the US Navy.

Everything came off without a hitch, really. Kudos to all involved! (Even Mr. Obama who, for once, acted like a President… instead of a campaigner.)

It would be nice if you were quoting a more unbiased source.

Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Shall we commend the clock for it’s accuracy and precision during those 2 moments? I guess we can, lets all applaud that lovely clock on the wall :::clap clap clap:::

A broken clock is still a broken clock.

And Obama is still Obama.

Now can we get back to something important like gutting the defense department while Obama drives us deeper into a disaster waiting to happen in Afghanistan and Pakistan? /snark

Very informative report Larry!
I don’t care who gets credit…I love the outcome!
An honorable Captain is alive and well, and three pirates are headed to hell!
Three cheers for the A-Team!

To Larry Johnson, Everybody,

You guys need to read this. Obama and his administration HAD NO CLUE WHAT TO DO:

Per CountUsOut
“The Story of a Successful Rescue (and the Obama Adminstration’s Attempt to Claim Credit)

Despite efforts to spin the pirate tale as evidence of bold leadership by an inexperienced president, the reality was clearly nothing of the sort.”
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-story-of-a-successful-rescue-and-obamas-attempt-to-claim-credit/2/

Look at the facts and then decide if he deserves credit. Don’t just here spin like I did not bow to King Abdullah when my butt is exuded out. LOL!

With this experience, I hope 0bama is finally proud of America, the country and its military and talks them up on his next international vacation.

A broken watch is right at least twice a day, but that doesn’t mean the watch is “working”.

Bush was portrayed as a chimp several times and it wasn’t racist then.

“HAD NO CLUE WHAT TO DO”
This shocking behavior is being reported about [P]Resident Pantywaist and his ever-expanding entourage..which now includes a make-up artist…

This Administration is taking on a real Lilliputian feel….

Ok lets give Obama some credit..Looks like the big news out of the WH isnt the rescue
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30188436/?GT1=43001

Guess there is more than one way to get the people’s attention off the real issues.

Oh, James, James, James….if you don’t know by now, you won’t ever get it.

The Captain’s life was in ‘imminent danger’ (as would be any hostage) the minute he was taken hostage. The pirates had AK-47s. This administration is a disaster waiting to happen.

Some bloggers will gave 0bama credit for the rescue, some NOT. Depends whom you listening. It is an old saying ” if you see a flower, that doesn’t mean the springs is hear”. I, personally would like to see more flowers to believe in springs arrival. Until then, I remain sceptic.

Pajamas Media!! Really?? You are on the blog of an expert in special and covert ops and you think we should all run over to Pajamas Media and read their unbiased report. Really pathetic ‘Objective Analysis’.

How about lying at every campaign stop telling ‘folks’ he would not take money from lobbyists..when in fact AIG..Exelon..were and are his largest contributors to name a few. How about inciting race relations at every turn..starting with the NH primary where David Axelrod said ‘New Hampshire voters went into the booth and put their hoods on and voted against the black guy..’.How about the 4 different reasons his legislative papers from 8 years in the Illinois State Legislature disappeared..This list goes on and on..how about his Rainbow PAC paying hundreds of congressmen and congresswomen thousands and thousands of dollars for their electoral vote? You are an undereducated fool if you think this illegal liar will do anything good for you..did you read the bailout bill? No pork is what he promised and there are no provisions in the bill that are anything else..How about the other 750 billion he asked for Thursday amid the hostage crisis hoopla..didn’t we already fund the same thing two other times? The war in Iraq? Oh I get it..he starts a war in Afganistan and we dont call it a war anymore..FISA? Doesn’t that concern you? Get real..regardless of who was at the ‘helm’ of this Seals mission..it was the Seals who rescued the American captain-not Obama-he was taking a dog from Ted Kennedy who is refusing to prosecute Obamas aunt for living in HUD housing for 9 years illegally..she is living on welfare you pay for..she has had two major surgeries on your dime illegally while real down and out Americans are living under bridges and in tent citites across the US..get real!

Again, James: don’t bother. There is no answer. There never has been and never will be. The hatred of Obama here just is.

Well, no, it wasn’t, because the Caucasian race hasn’t been derided for centuries by comparisons with primates.

In Bush’s case, the mockery was based on the caricature of an individual.

On the other hand, when one reads comments on Rightwing blogs referring to putting a tire swing in the Oval Office or turning the Rose Garden into a watermelon patch, it’s obvious that the comments are based upon broad-brush racism that has no interest in considering the individual against which it’s leveled.

It’s actually easier for me to understand the level of commentary coming from conservative bigots. I’m more confused by what I read here — for example, the conspiracy theories about President Obama’s citizenship, which conveniently ignore everything from Certificates of Live Birth to birth announcements in local papers. Or the silly criticism of President Obama’s use of teleprompters — which conveniently forgets that he successfully campaigned at countless events without using teleprompters, or that majorities of voters felt that he won all three presidential debates, or for that matter that the “great communicator” himself, Ronald Reagan, relied heavily on teleprompters.

Well, we can discuss the biases of various MSM outlets such as CBS News, NYT, and WSJ and perhaps not come to a consensus. I not uncommonly find each of them biased in ways that offend me, as a liberal. However, I believe the November elections effectively ratified the lack of bias in their polling of the presidential race: their predictions were in line with the outcome. And their polling numbers are hardly outliers.

So, unless you want to argue that they and other pollsters are systemically biased in the same ways — and that some hidden powers that be concoct election outcomes that mirror their (sham) polling — I don’t see why we should discount their polling numbers.

On the one hand, we have every major polling outlet showing high approvals for President Obama, right track/wrong track numbers moving very favorably for him, and majority support for his key initiatives and leadership. On the other, we have a British columnist — much cited by certain US bloggers — calling him President Pantywaist. It seems to be that the greater danger here is confirmation bias, not reliance on alleged media bias.

Sniper’s only need a platform to fire from and their equipment. They do not need battle ships to fire from. They are SEALS and they are highly mobile. They probably could have fired from the water. They also could have emerged from the water underneath the boat and used flash bang grenades or other sorts of weapons. They also probably used infrared technology to locate their target behavior within the boat and learned of their hostages location from the moment they got there.

This was an international incident as it involved Americans. Because this entered the world stage there is all the ability to fly snipers in at the order of the president. What this article and many commentaries are spouting is more for a more involved incident. JOPES or not…. if it had been a beloved relative of the president he would have ordered it sooner. This pirate situation has been brewing for years now and a response by the US should have been in place and acted upon more swiftly.

I’m not buying off on this timeline. Someone in the US’s higher chain of command played with this captains life and only when their intel indicated an impending murder did they take physical action. Someone was hoping for appeasement of the terrorist jihadis.

Way to GO Springy. So true. What if Obama’s daughter was out there? Would it get to the point of literally having an AK-47 at her head, ready to fire, and her having to jump ship on her own? And would this all be about “negotiating” whether or not the terrorists would “be arrested and go to jail?” I doubt it. Obama was “mulling it over” and hoping someone would do something, so he didn’t have to. And they did. Obama couldn’t care less IMO.

Wow, you know the Fraud’s in big trouble when they send the Obots out in TEAMS.

He would blame Bush.

Sarah P said:

“That’s what’s so great about this site, it’s all about getting back to the leadership of George W. Bush!”

Really! I think that may come as a wee surprise to many posters on this site [many of whom are Clinton Democrats, btw].

How’s this?

I “despise” Obama simply for using his allies and the MSM to falsely accuse both the Clintons and their supporters of having and/or using a racial bias against his candidacy and african americans in general in order to win the nomination.

He himself drove this message home in a series of Hoodwinked” and “bamboozled” rallies to black audiences.

His supporters like Donna Brazile and Jesse Jackson jr. played the Clintons are “racist” card constantly in and with the media ad on the net till the last day.

And it worked. Without it, Obama wouldnt have stood a chance and is THE overarching reason he is at 1600 Pa ave today.

Thats reason # 1 (and all I need) to despise Obama.

Are we clear?

Clinton Democrats?! Are you kidding? It seems obvious to me that this site is PRO-GOP! And that’s a great thing as so many of those sites out there are pro Barry and his tax cuts for the middle class and his socialist health care reform and his raising taxes on the rich back to Clinton era levels!

With Sarah Palin in charge in 2013 this country will return to the ideals of the George W. Bush administration! No more socialism!

I’m no bot! Just a concerned American! It’s time to TEA BAG the white house! They are trying to make this a class war against the rich! The rich are those that give us poor people jobs!

Really! I agree. I really think the credit should go to Sarah Palin. In my opinion she is really America’s true President right now. That SOCIALIST BARRY needs to get out of the way and let the real woman take over!

“It seems obvious to me that this site is PRO-GOP!”

Well then you’re either deluded or haven’t been reading the site very long. And Sarah Palin in 2013?

Dream on!

Oh god! That’s so disgusting. I hate animals and the way liberals treat them like they are equal to humans.

Barry is such an idiot! America never needs any help ever! America can do everything by herself if it has a real leader like Sarah Palin in charge! It’s so ridiculous to think that America can’t manage to cover the entire ocean by itself. After all, it is 2009! Stupid liberals!

You seem to be borrowing from Rush Limbaugh’s playbook of a few years back: Whenever anyone offers a cogent dissenting opinion, you declare them a “seminar caller,” and their argument is somehow magically delegitimized because of your assertion that they’re part of a concerted effort. Where I come from, a solid argument is a solid argument — shouldn’t matter who’s making it.

That said, I’m nothing more than a Democrat who has frequented political blogs for six years. I stop by here every couple of weeks to see how President Obama’s actions are being interpreted. Larry Johnson gets a tip of the hat for giving credit where it’s due regarding the Somalian pirates, but others here seem constitutionally unable to follow suit.

The cause of my everlasting contempt? Two words:

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES!

And if you don’t know what this race-baiting, vote stealing, cheating, lying, incompetent neophyte did and ENCOURAGED his followers to do to Clinton and her supporters starting in February 2007 then you are completely deaf and blind or simply don’t see anything wrong with 0bama and his minions(so called “democrats”) behaving in such a way that makes Ken Starr, Lucianne Goldberg and all the other rabid frothing at the mouth haters from the 90′s look like amateurs.

If you still hav’nt figured out how Howard Dean gerrymandered the caucuses and delegates as well screwing over FL/MI than it’s simply because you DON’T WANT TO KNOW. FL Dems did NOT want to move our primary we were NOT given a choice. Do your homework on how and why it happened.

That will NEVER EVER be forgiven. NEVER!

It would take more than a comment to list EVERY SINGLE thing that 0bama and his cult did to both Clintons as well as To Hillary’s supporters but our memories are long; we have kept the articles, the videos, the screen shots ALL documenting every slander, smear and orgy of hate and hypocrisy that was indulged in by 0 and his minions and we WILL NEVER FORGET.

You are indeed a bot. Your very denial in such a fashion only makes that little pesky fact obvious. Nice try, Obamabot, but a real supporter of Sarah Palin would not post as you do. Run along now, little shill, ObotHQ has new talking points to upload onto your 20 MB hard drive.

and we are grateful that it worked.

But the real credit goes to the Navy. The SEALS simply pulled off a flawless operation.
So True–And they hadnt Obama would probably be pointing fingers at them for disobeying or ???

of course..