Obama twice approved force to rescue hostage
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama twice authorized the military to rescue a U.S. captain who was being held by Somali pirates and whose life appeared to be at risk, administration officials said after Sunday’s rescue.
The Defense Department twice asked Obama for permission to use military force to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast. Obama first gave permission around 8 p.m. Friday, and upgraded it at 9:20 a.m. Saturday. Officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations said the second order was to encompass more military personnel and equipment that arrived in the Indian Ocean to engage the pirates.
Somali pirates last week boarded the Maersk Alabama off the Horn of Africa. The crew fought back, but Phillips surrendered himself to safeguard his men. Navy ships soon were on their way to the area.
White House officials on Sunday said Obama received regular updates by phone and in person at the White House - including 11 memos - and during his daily intelligence briefings with senior officials. The National Security Council last updated the president on a contingency plan for Phillips at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a timeline of events released Sunday afternoon by the White House.
Full Story Here:
Obama twice approved force to rescue hostage
OK, if this story is to be believed, and I have no reason to think that even AP would put out a totally false story in favor of Obama, so, if this is true, we have got to give Obama his due and say way to go.
I have always been as fair and balanced as I possibly could since I began blogging. I blasted George W. Bush all to hell and back when I felt he had done the wrong thing and I sang his praises when I felt he was correct in his estimations and actions.
Barack Obama deserves the same level of respect from me that former President Bush got. You see, unlike the loony left and the hard core libberpukes that would never say so much as 1 good word concerning President Bush, I have no problem with sending kudos to President Obama if he does the correct thing, and quite honestly, I was totally surprised to see this story. I didn’t think he had it in him to give the orders. Apparently, I was wrong.
“We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region. To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes,” Obama said.
I am posting that last paragraph for future reference. I hope Obama means every word, I intend to check up on it on a regular basis. I hope you will all do the same.
Don’t go getting ANY ideas that I am becoming an Obama fan, I am not. Barack Obama is still a huge disaster concerning the economy, global alliances, protocol, military leadership abilities, any number of endeavors, but as the old saying goes, on occasion, even a blind hog finds truffle. This was one of those occasions.
Fred,
So Now you are saying:
Things BHO did wrong,
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
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Things BHO did correctly: I (maybe)
Pretty much…
I will give the Captain a ton of credit though, He risked his life knowing that Islamopirates have a reputstion of killing everyone they take prisoner (If you know you won’t get anything for the person they are a prisoner and not a hostage no matter how much you demand for their release). Then he attempted escape not once but twice knowing that he would be a floating target in the open water. Balls of titanium that man has there. I am glad he will get to be with his family again!
And then there was this:
Bluegrass Pundit: Officials spread lies for Obama about Captain Phillips rescue
To me, what’s a shame is that presidential orders must be issued before the military acts to rescue an American citizen. It doesn’t matter who is in the White House. The only order should be, “get our citizen back at all costs”. With that order it should be left up to the military experts as to where, when, and how. Also, it should be the experts on scene, not the REMF’s at the Pentagon.
Truthfully, this means only one thing:
Carter is back to being the worst president we’ve ever had.
And that’s about as close to a compliment I’m gonna get.
HooYa for the Navy SEALS… The real men’s department of the Navy. No offense Jarheads
Parting [out one's enemy] is such sweet sarrow.
as the old saying goes, on occasion, even a blind hog finds truffle.
???
I always heard that a “blind sow finds an acorn, now and then”!!
And I agree that Obama made the right decision.
I was worried that Obama being Muslim as he grew uo, and was educated as one, would not pull the trigger on another muslim.
Outstanding work!, from one old Delta team to the new ones now running the show.
Why any terrorist pirate would let themselves be towed around while their boss was on the warship talking and “negotiating”, must be a lot dumb and dumber.
Killing them was easy as the terrorists made it easy! Sticking their heads out to enjoy the “seabreeze”.
Oh well, I am satisfied tonight with our Country’s decisions.
And I am glad for this
Chuck, I was trying to keep ACORN out of it…
I too give the Omeister a kudo here…HOWEVER…I smell spin here big time. When those guys fired on our ship and they had to retreat…I’m going with my Navy gut that it just wasn’t time…
But the fact that Big-O has been in my face on TV every day since Jan. 20…he was AWFULLY silent here…didn’t even come on to say I’m sorry Captain is hostage…I’m gonna do something…just nada. His FIRST orders should have been to SHOOT TO KILL when the time is right. Let’s hope he did a good thing here. Obama HATES this sort of shit…all Dems do!
What? My feet to a fire…say it ain’t so Biden…WTF?
However…it WAS resolved and if this man truly gave the order, then my hat’s off to him for one day. I think still though he was pressured by forces bigger than he, and more honorable than he, and possibly he will get all the credit…patriots know though.
Texas Fred: “Chuck, I was trying to keep ACORN out of it…”
Fred, you do manage to come up with a good one now and again. Heh!
That was an inspiration via our old friend Bubba…
Bubba likes sauteed truffles on occasion!!
I am not buying the spin neither. Especially having just read the link you gave above, Fred. I also agree with Malinda. This man has been in our faces for too long, to suddenly have NADA to say. I am no expert but I am thinking that the twice referenced is his military advisers getting after him. Just a thought..
The man is an idiot, plain and simple. Of course, I suppose I also could spin and claim credit for today, if BO can, since I did write the WH and ask “when are you gonna be Presidential and do something about Captain Phillips?” (Or words to that effect.) lol
Bottom line is, the Captain is on his way home, courtesy of the US military, and this is a GREAT thing.
Wow, I just love all the “I’m not buying it” comments AFTER I posted the link to the story that totally contradicts this “Obama ordered it” BS…
It’s looks like some folks are blaming ME… I didn’t write the story, I have several obviously skeptical caveats in the story…
Sheesh folks…
I don’t put anything past the ‘Obama adoring tame media’ and the devil will be ice skating in hell when I give ‘Dear Leader’ any sort of ‘at-a-boy’, unless he resigns and takes his boot licker’s with him.
I despise everything about Obama and the cast of merry idiots he’s surrounded himself with.
And I referenced the link you gave, Fred! I even read what they said, too, but was sceptical before I read it.
Agreed. “Barack Obama deserves the same level of respect from me that former President Bush got.”
The bottom line is that neither our military or our CinC had much to do with the impetus behind the culmination of the hostage situation. It is Capt Phillips who made the decision to jump from the Maersk’s covered lifeboat again, who became the master of his own fate. I’m sure the SEALs were already prepared, but the GO came from Phillips himself.
Obama had NOTHING to do with that.
BZ
Well, the more that comes out about this the more I am thinking that this is actually an obama failure. How so..? Well, someone dropped the ball and forgot to have “Standing Orders” revised. Then this situation popped up and landed in his lap. It would have been a PR nightmare to change those in the heat of an ongoing action.
Kudos to the US Navy, and a Captain with brass balls!
p.s. I added that link to the story I posted about this in the wee hours of the night Fred
The Obamanation does nothing without scaning the political landscape for possible gain…..this is just another case of that.