I have commented briefly on this subject because I do not feel it is my place to do so. So I will just relay the words of two Navy men I respect. I can't print a comment from the Navy guy that I most respect...cause my Dad just made a face, lol.
USN
Adm. Mike Mullen on CNN
ADM. MICHAEL MULLEN, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS: My expectations is that American sailors are never seized in a situation like that. And individuals and units are guided by the right of self-defense. They don't have to ask permission to take action to protect themselves.
SB, Princess Crabby's favorite Naval Consort and SWO extraordinaire!
They should have fought! What's next...Argies taking the Falklands back without a fight? Admiral Nelson is wishing he were Irish! We may not win all the fights but at least we try!
My crew is fully aware of how they are expected to (and will. I'm sure) behave if God forbid they find themselves in a similar situation. Old saying goes...."Come back carrying your shield....or on it!"
We give them guns and ammo for a reason! The taxpayers will buy us more!
My crew is fully aware of how they are expected to (and will. I'm sure) behave if God forbid they find themselves in a similar situation. Old saying goes...."Come back carrying your shield....or on it!"
We give them guns and ammo for a reason! The taxpayers will buy us more!
For some very interesting commentary on the photo at the top, go to Murray's place.
One word - ROE (rules of engagement). The Iranians clearly ambushed the VERY vulnerable VBSS party from the COVENTRY. There is no doubt that COVENTRY could have laid waste to the Iranian attack boats, but not without substantial loss of life on both sides.
ReplyDeleteWe are not at war with Iran, yet. The UK has a long history of very bad relations with Iran and a surface engagement would have gone over very poorly for all concerned - and possibly strenghtened Imagonnajihad's position.
The sailors were screwed. But we, as military members, answer to our CIVILIAN government. The NAG is hardly a free fire zone and as much as I sympathize with them, I have found myself receiving orders which let me clearly understand how "expendable" I am.
I accept that.
Yeah and so what?
ReplyDeleteNo one with the slightest understanding of ROE's has a problem with them not going down in a hail of poorly thought out gunfire.
The issue is the degree to which they cooperated with their captors.
They nearly all roll over simply because they were threatened with a trial.
And I'd put it to you that the actions of the Iranian forces constituted piracy and the boarding party were WELL inside their rights to defend themselves under both ROE's and existing maritime law.
And Rules of engagement is three words. ROE isn;t a word, it's an acronym. I still have my last ROE's because we found an 8 page document to guide us in deciding whether or not to return fire in a split second to be freaken hysterical.
And not in a good way.