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2009-12-01 Home Front: Politix

SEAL 'Fat Lip' Prosecution Punishment for Maersk Alabama Rescue?

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Posted by Omineth Clarong5490 2009-12-01 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 So the word on the street is that this latest development is payback for the SEALs violating the ROE in rescuing the captain of the Maersk Alabama. The Chain of Command is asserting itself, letting everybody know what's going to happen to you if you don't follow orders.

As this was expressed to me, this opinion is based on very good, solid inside information. In my personal experience with Navy brass I have found they are very political and very politically correct. The Naval Command's reaction to the prisoner situation was so overblown and out of proportion that I somehow find this latest angle quite believable. Unfortunately.

Unbelievable? Hardly. His second sentence para 2 says it all, but unfortunately it's not just the Navy.

Posted by Besoeker 2009-12-01 07:10|| 2009-12-01 07:10|| Front Page Top

#2 I'll repeat an observation. It will not be the General Officer corps that will stand and fight when it comes between the Executive and upholding the oath to defend the Constitution. It'll be the middle grades who haven't been bought by power and position.

Posted by Procopius2k 2009-12-01 08:07|| 2009-12-01 08:07|| Front Page Top

#3 Next time the SEALs may accidentally end up killing the HVT they are supposed to capture.

Posted by gorb 2009-12-01 12:55|| 2009-12-01 12:55|| Front Page Top

#4 And I don't want my tax dollars wasted on this childish kind of crap.

Posted by gorb 2009-12-01 12:56|| 2009-12-01 12:56|| Front Page Top

#5 The message has been loud and clear to the military for a while now. Do not capture prisoners.

The Phoenix Program in Vietnam had a very tight capture policy. If you cannot extract information from them in one hour, execute them. If you can extract information from them, you still execute them, then act on the information received.

Since US forces have always been loathe to execute captured enemy, they had ARVN with them to do so.

In practice, these SEALs should always bring along a trusted foreign elite forces observer. Someone who will be in charge of prisoners.

Posted by Anonymoose 2009-12-01 15:21|| 2009-12-01 15:21|| Front Page Top

#6 Delighted you added that third para Moose, just to keep the record somewhat straight.

Posted by Besoeker 2009-12-01 15:26|| 2009-12-01 15:26|| Front Page Top

#7 P2K, I have know some Army General Officers who were willing to do the right thing and use their silver bullet, but not many who had been away from troop commands for very long. I have no experience of Navy flag officers, but find this petty, politically inspired, and immensely damaging to troop morale.

Posted by NoMoreBS 2009-12-01 16:54|| 2009-12-01 16:54|| Front Page Top

#8 Besoeker: A good way to describe the Phoenix Program would be to compare them to a "flying squad", in which time was of the essence. When intelligence had evidence on some corrupt official working for the Viet Cong or the North, they Program would put the bag on him, then only have a short period of time with which to identify and shut down his entire network.

At the same time, they would activate one of the trusted ARVN units to do a "night of the long knives" on the network, rounding them up before they could put up an alarm or scatter.

Posted by Anonymoose 2009-12-01 18:29|| 2009-12-01 18:29|| Front Page Top

#9 Moose:

So I've been told by the old timers who were there, as I was not. While extremely effective, I do know the program got a LOT of very bad press back in the states. Unfortunately I was here for that.

Posted by Besoeker 2009-12-01 18:52|| 2009-12-01 18:52|| Front Page Top

#10 Remember the purpose of the Navy is not to fight.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2009-12-01 19:43|| 2009-12-01 19:43|| Front Page Top

23:52 JosephMendiola
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22:47 Willy
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