BDashe 0 #76 April 14, 2009 Quote Quote Yep, that's something that's been bugging me, and I'm betting that the full story isn't out yet on this. There was an early report that the captain had jumped in the water a 2nd time in the rescue event, but then that was contradicted. I am still skeptical that the snipers on the fantail is what really happened. 1. SEALs are known to have this ability to operate underwater which could get them very close to the pirates w/o being observed. 2. A tactic that was successful at neutralizing pirates, could be useful again in the future, so why give it away? 3. Shooting from a platform that is bobbing and rolling, at a target that is also bobbing and rolling, can't be easy, especially when a hostage it present. And with 3 perps on board, the shots would need to be simultaneous in order to avoid giving the perps a chance to harm the hostage or dive for cover. +1, ive been wondering if it didn't go down differently as well, and they played it to the media as a very quick death without the pirates even realizing what hit em to make it appear more humane. 3 synchronized shots to the head in with hostiles in 2 different areas of the lifeboat? I mean who knows, maybe it happened that way, good snipers are nasty fuckers, especially from 75 feet; or maybe it was, um, a little more hands on... regardless, i think it's awesome. on another note, based on lots of literature and 1st hand accounts i've read/discussed with guys in the Teams, SEAL teams are known and trained to be an autonomous force and make these decisions on their own. So maybe they went in, fucked some peoples' worlds up, changed the story a bit and gave O the decision cred for publicity reasons. granted, being on a highly populated ship with lots of media coverage/needing up to date info for the public doesn't make conspiracies any easier to create, not exactly like being in an isolated jungle observing shit like this that no one ever knows about. So, did obama give an order? maybe, maybe not. did he need to? Not really, only reason in this scenario would be because of how public the whole ordeal was. Did the SEALs snipe the pirates as we're told? Maybe, maybe not. At the end of the day though: USA/SEALs 1, pirate assholes 0So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #77 April 14, 2009 See "Rules of Engagement.". The POTUS changed those rules on Friday. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #78 April 14, 2009 Wow .. It's just like an episode of "The Unit" (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skyrad 0 #79 April 14, 2009 LMAO When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy. Lucius Annaeus Seneca Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nanook 1 #80 April 14, 2009 I don't see why he needed to. The engagements happened according to peacetime ROE's. What exactly did he change?_____________________________ "The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #81 April 14, 2009 Sounds to me like they just used this as a nice low threshold exercise to familiarize the CinC with ROEs in a real life scenario. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Royd 0 #82 April 14, 2009 QuoteWell, to be fair, it's a really bad day for some of the more extreme right-wingers. The US succeeded militarily against some pirates - and they HATE that. Newt Gingrich has spent the week claiming that Obama "does not have the will to do anything" and will just wait until international law does his job for him. Glenn Beck stated that Obama is "too politically correct" to act, and mocked his actions so far. FOX News has been asking whether Obama will "just string this out and not hurt anybody." So there's a lot of egg to clean off their faces, and they're not handling it well. (Not saying John's like this - but a lot of conservative news sources are very upset today, and it's affecting their listeners.) Nah. We are just using a little, childish, reverse psycology, to pull the puppet's strings Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frenchy68 0 #83 April 15, 2009 Who needs seals when you can have dolphins! "For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #84 April 15, 2009 Quote Who needs seals when you can have dolphins! That has to be the lamest "news" ever. FFS, get some sharks with laser beams.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #85 April 15, 2009 QuoteSounds to me like they just used this as a nice low threshold exercise to familiarize the CinC with ROEs in a real life scenario. Hey, you figured it out! Yes, the truth is, the pirates were just actors. Of course, the evidence had to be, well, sanitized. The real lesson: don't try this at home. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #86 April 15, 2009 Not as funny as the 'murkan war Dolphins that went AWOL during the Gulf War .... now they were some clever beastieshttp://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/03/29/iraq/main546667.shtml (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 0 #87 April 15, 2009 13,766 items of post-whoring to date, and you don't know how to make an url a clicky? That'll be a month probation for you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piper17 1 #88 April 15, 2009 A kinder, gentler, and easier "solution" to this pirate situation is for the United Nations to pass a resolution outlawing the possession of "assault weapons" and declare the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa a "gun free zone". When this happens, the pirates will immediately turn in their weapons at the nearest United Nations office and turn to a life of legal commerce or agriculture. If this "solution" can be expected to work in the US, why not in the Horn of Africa?"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition"...Rudyard Kipling Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #89 April 15, 2009 Quote A kinder, gentler, and easier "solution" to this pirate situation is for the United Nations to pass a resolution outlawing the possession of "assault weapons" and declare the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa a "gun free zone". When this happens, the pirates will immediately turn in their weapons at the nearest United Nations office and turn to a life of legal commerce or agriculture. That's great, but UN should also make sure that they don't conduct commerce or agriculture unless it's done in a "green" manner. So another resolution is likely necessary. In the meantime, they can pass a resolution for the US to support the "former pirates but currently looking for green work" in a modern standard of living until they are gainfully employed. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #90 April 15, 2009 Quote 13,766 items of post-whoring to date, and you don't know how to make an url a clicky? That'll be a month probation for you. I do, I often make them for others... but this time I just couldn't be arsed (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #91 April 15, 2009 >A kinder, gentler, and easier "solution" to this pirate situation is for the >United Nations to pass a resolution outlawing the possession of "assault >weapons" and declare the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa a "gun free >zone". An even easier solution - just throw teabags at them! The pirates will surely wither under such a clear demonstration of American resolve. After all, if this solution will work in the US, why not off the Horn of Africa? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 25 #92 April 15, 2009 Quote>A kinder, gentler, and easier "solution" to this pirate situation is for the >United Nations to pass a resolution outlawing the possession of "assault >weapons" and declare the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa a "gun free >zone". An even easier solution - just throw teabags at them! The pirates will surely wither under such a clear demonstration of American resolve. After all, if this solution will work in the US, why not off the Horn of Africa? Bill, I'm sure you're not, but it sounds like you're advocating some kind of armed rebellion instead of a "tea party" peaceful protest movement. You're not, are you? The American government (and people) are, I sincerely hope, more open to peaceful suggestion than the Somali pirates.-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,123 #93 April 15, 2009 The prirate problem won't go away until you take their base of operations away. As long as Somalia is in pretty much total anarchy, the pirates will have a base to operate from. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #94 April 15, 2009 >but it sounds like you're advocating some kind of armed rebellion >instead of a "tea party" peaceful protest movement. You're not, are you? Nope! That was sarcasm, in reply to another sarcastic post. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #95 April 15, 2009 QuoteThe prirate problem won't go away until you take their base of operations away. As long as Somalia is in pretty much total anarchy, the pirates will have a base to operate from. so....nuke it from orbit? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,123 #96 April 15, 2009 That would probably create an even larger area "ruled" by anarchy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 25 #97 April 15, 2009 QuoteQuoteThe prirate problem won't go away until you take their base of operations away. As long as Somalia is in pretty much total anarchy, the pirates will have a base to operate from. so....nuke it from orbit? It's the only way to be sure.-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,384 #98 April 15, 2009 QuoteThe prirate problem won't go away until you take their base of operations away. As long as Somalia is in pretty much total anarchy, the pirates will have a base to operate from. Well here is a novel approach; Ron Paul is advocating bringing back privateers, with a couple changes: - They would be required to turn over anything they captured. - The would be paid bounties on the pirates. http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090415/pl_politico/21245"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #99 April 15, 2009 I realize the US navy has a full plate of commitments but if there was a carrier in the area could F-18s not deploy in time to intercept most hijacking attempts in time to sink the pirate vessel before they capture the cargo ship? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #100 April 15, 2009 Quote Quote The prirate problem won't go away until you take their base of operations away. As long as Somalia is in pretty much total anarchy, the pirates will have a base to operate from. Well here is a novel approach; Ron Paul is advocating bringing back privateers, with a couple changes: - They would be required to turn over anything they captured. - The would be paid bounties on the pirates. http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090415/pl_politico/21245 I'd throw in another stipulation, upon conviction of piracy, they be made to walk the plank and jump into shark-infested waters. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
