Camp Bastion, Afghanistan: We Need Answers

National Review Online ^ | Nov 14, 2012 | Michelle Malkin

[KeyLargo]

Camp Bastion, Afghanistan: We Need Answers

By Michelle Malkin November 14, 2012 12:00 A.M.

While Secretary of State Hillary Clinton boozes it up in Australia and the Pentagon grapples with more floozy eruptions, outraged military families are still waiting for answers about the forgotten 9/14 attack on Camp Bastion.

Muckrakers and distraction engineers are having a front-page field day with the so-called sex scandal. But for surviving relatives and colleagues of heroic Marine Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Raible and Sargent Bradley Atwell, it’s the national-security scandal at Afghanistan’s Camp Bastion that deserves headline coverage.

There’s been a virtual blackout of the alarming story in the national press. As I reported last month, the meticulously coordinated siege by 15 Taliban infiltrators — dressed in American combat fatigues and armed with assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and other weapons — resulted not only in two deaths, but also in the most devastating loss of U.S. airpower since Vietnam. Six Harrier jets were destroyed; three refueling stations were wiped out; six hangars were damaged.

The attack came exactly six months after a failed suicide attack targeting defense secretary Leon Panetta and three days after the deadly attack on our consulate in Benghazi. November 14, 2012 12:00 A.M.

While Secretary of State Hillary Clinton boozes it up in Australia and the Pentagon grapples with more floozy eruptions, outraged military families are still waiting for answers about the forgotten 9/14 attack on Camp Bastion.

Muckrakers and distraction engineers are having a front-page field day with the so-called sex scandal. But for surviving relatives and colleagues of heroic Marine Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Raible and Sargent Bradley Atwell, it’s the national-security scandal at Afghanistan’s Camp Bastion that deserves headline coverage. vastating loss of U.S. airpower since Vietnam.

[KeyLargo]

Sgt. Bradley Atwell, left, and Lt. Col. Christopher Raible were killed when insurgents attacked Camp Bastion in Afghanistan on Sept. 15.

[KeyLargo]

The Wall Street Journal

CROSS COUNTRY
Updated November 9, 2012, 6:35 p.m. ET

Marc Weintraub: A Harrier Jet Pilot True to the Creed, ‘Every Marine a Rifleman’

The lieutenant colonel took care of his Marines, whether at home in the States or at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.
By MARC ‘VINO’ WEINTRAUB

A memorial service was held recently for Lt. Col. Chris “Otis” Raible at my former Marine base in Yuma, Ariz. It was a moving ceremony that required overflow seating outside the chapel. Even in Yuma’s 100-degree heat, not a chair went empty.

Lt. Col. Raible’s fellow commanders and most of the Marine Corps’ leadership on the West Coast were in attendance. Fellow Marines of all ranks and ages, and civilians from the local community all took time to pay their respects. Wives and children of Marines still deployed wept not only for Donnella Raible and her three children, but also for this painful reminder that their loved ones are still in harm’s way.

The tributes were poignant. Col. Michael Gough, Marine Air Group 13 commander and Lt. Col. Raible’s boss, described him as the consummate leader, whether in taking care of his Marines at home in Arizona or leading from the front to mount a counterattack to defend his base. Quite simply, Col. Gough said, “he led.”..

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324439804578104850491484908.html

[Irenic]

I agree, we need answers. I don’t expect to see much happening though.

[MissMagnolia]

Others wondered why security hadn’t been stepped up given the public threat by the Taliban on September 10 to kill Prince Harry, who was stationed at Camp Bastion.

There should be hell to pay for not stepping up security to protect our own men, but can you imagine the press coverage if something had happened to Harry? What is going on that no one is getting decent security any more when it is CLEARLY needed? Not Camp Bastion, not the consulate in Benghazi. I realize Obama thinks that due to his Obamaness, there is no such thing as a war on terror any more and therefore no terrorists, but you would think Panetta & the military leadership would care whether or not they have blood on their hands. Then again, with Panetta's statements that the miltary needs advance warning to react quickly and Allen spending his time sex-mailing, they seem to be preoccupied with other issues besides the lives of our military.

[kristinn]

Thanks for posting this important article by Michelle Malkin. The entire article must be read. Camp Bastion families are livid and speaking out to Malkin.

[trapped_in_LA]

I don’t get it, this is a war zone, people get killed in a war zone. The military does not owe anyone an explanation so get over it and if you don’t like people getting killed then get out of the war zone. Tired of hearing people whine about this kind of thing.

[TheBattman]

Even Faux skimmed over this. Makes one wonder if there is a LOT more to this than meets the eye.

[Wuli]

News report today

Pakistan frees Taliban prisoners at request of Afghan government:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324556304578118743012906884.html?mod=WSJ_World_LEFTSecondNews

The attack one month ago at Camp Bastion is not only off the media’s radar screen, it is also off the radar screen of BillaryBama.

[maggief]

Thanks for the ping.

[livius]

This was a jihadi attack on what was supposedly our most secure base (hence the name) that killed the second highest ranking service member killed in the war and destroyed six high tech jets, severely cutting our inventory and hampering our forces. And it all occurred because of incredibly lax security in a supposedly pacified area.

The jihadis attacked from a base they had built right under our noses, a supposed “farm” within the monitored perimeter, where their farming activity consisted of smuggling in weapons and building bombs. And of course one of the Afghan employees allowed free run of the base identified a weak spot in the fence where surveillance was poor, and this was the place where they came through (after already having been caught cutting the wires there in the week or so preceding the attack).

This is directly because of Obama’s “normalization” program, that is, treat Afghanis as if you can trust them and hire them for your secure areas, take off your weapons in their presence, don’t ask questions about anything they do because you might be offending their Islamic highnesses, and don’t even look as if you are considering the security of your own people. During the 4 years of Obama’s policies, nearly three times as many military members have been killed in Afghanistan as were killed in all of the preceding years.

So that’s why this is such a big deal.

[littleharbour]

Perhaps if Gen. Allen hadn’t been so busy emailing the floozy back in the US he might have had time to attend to security issues in bases under his direct command.

[livius]

This has been going on under every commander since 2008; supposedly, after a few horrible attacks, McChrystal objected and that was the reason he was replaced. He had actually replaced another general (whose name I don’t remember) who may have had some objection to the winning hearts and minds through vulnerability strategy. Petraeus, during his brief time there, continued with this policy, although there is some suspicion that he too was beginning to make discontented noises and this was why he was kicked upstairs (in addition to the fact that Obama didn’t want him being perceived as a war hero and possible threat to Obama if Petraeus should run for office).

Attempts will be made to cast everything as being the result of the incompetence or inattention of an individual, but it was actually a policy...which came from the top, and which Obama, both in Afghanistan and in Libya and the rest of the Middle East, was not willing to relinquish. Can’t have any Muslims get hurt now, can we?

[KeyLargo]

“I don’t get it, this is a war zone, people get killed in a war zone. The military does not owe anyone an explanation so get over it and if you don’t like people getting killed then get out of the war zone. Tired of hearing people whine about this kind of thing.”

Really?

I feel sad for you that you have such a matter of fact attitude about the deaths of our military men and women and how deeply it effects the grieving families left behind, who you say are “whining about this kind of thing.”