For example, Marines and SEALs practice NEO ops prior to deploying on every float, as a VERY high priority mission. They involve full dress-rehearsals, with civilian role players, helos, landing craft, rounding up stranded stragglers, opfor ambushes, role-playing "angry mobs," fighting your way to LZs or even beaches while protecting a gaggle of civilians down to babies etc. Conducting successful NEO ops is a TOP TOP TOP military and state department mission priority. I cannot emphasize this enough. NEO ops are planned and practiced over and over and over.
When the alarm goes off worldwide that an embassy or consulate is being attacked, the entire U.S. military swings into rescue mode, without waiting for any orders from the White House. The military does all of the operational planning and begins to execute the rescue op.
The one thing they CAN'T do is cross an international border without permission from POTUS. So the US Military will be inbound full-steam-ahead to make the rescue, and all they need from POTUS is a "proceed" order. In this case, they got a "stand down" instead.
This is at the POTUS level, it is not a decision taken at State. State and the military (JCS) should be in the Situation Room with POTUS soon after a critical incident like this begins, so all decisions can be made in real time. (I have heard nowhere that POTUS went into the Situation Room at all. Apparently he went to the Oval Office briefly, but not down to the Situation Room, where the "war planning" screens, full staffs and commo tools are all located for dealing with a major crisis.)
But if POTUS punts after a brief Oval Office meeting with Dempsey and Hillary and goes upstairs to the family quarters....the stranded Americans will die.
Only POTUS can give the order to cross international borders. Only POTUS can allow US warplanes to give air support to Americans battling on the ground in a foreign country. If POTUS makes himself unavailable, the Americans will die.
Even the VEEP or Secretary of State cannot make that call. The VEEP can only do it if the POTUS is determined to be medically unable to perform his functions. If the POTUS goes upstairs and turns off his phone, there is nothing anybody can do about it. Nothing. And the besieged Americans will die.
On Friday an anonymous Pentagon insider ("Doug") called into Rush with a lot of new details about this disgraceful fiasco. But what we really need now is for a high-ranking officer with insider knowledge to go public, risk his pension and career, and tell the truth.
The blame for this humiliating and shameful national disgrace is pointing directly at the POTUS, and America needs to know why the inbound rescue operation was aborted.
Thx for that, Travis! Adds much clarity to this situation.
Thank you.
Praying a true Patriot steps forward to nail him to the wall.
” But what we really need now is for a high-ranking officer with insider knowledge to go public, risk his pension and career, and tell the truth.”
Hmmm. Thank you for this post.
Who? If not now, when?
WOW thanks for that info on how it actually works. Wow. And thank you very much for your service to our country.
This is an impeachable offense. I see this as a high crime against the sovereignty of the United States and a failure to “faithfully execute his assigned duties.”
You triggered a memory here. Remember the Somali pirates vs. Navy SEALs early in the Obama's pres_entcy? Remember how hesitant he was about the commander giving the order for the snipers to shoot the pirates even though one of them had "an AK-47 pointed at the back of American freighter captain Richard Phillips"? Only after they were successful did Obama express pride in their saving Captain Phillips.
Interesting how quickly Obama responds to charges of supposed racism (Henry Louis Gates/Beer Summit and Trayvon Martin/Obama's Son) but is a pantywaist when it comes to other sorts of leadership. He's more like a Prom Queen adored by a bunch of girlie-girls than a CIC.
SOURCE: ABC News - April 13, 2009 Navy SEALs' Simultaneous Headshots on Somali Pirates Were Procedure
Vice Adm. Bill Gortney called the simultaneous shots "phenomenal," and President Obama said how "very proud" he was of the job carried out by the military.But while Humphries praised a job well done, he wasn't surprised by the deadly outcome.
"It's a standard, well executed hostage rescue tactical solution... They had no other choice," Humphries said. "[This was] the only way they get the job done."
"It's not a bunch of cowboys out there," he said. "It was a very controlled situation."