Bluff and Bloodshed
"The U.S. Navy has had 20 sailors lose their lives because of small boat attacks," says Cmdr. Lydia Robertson, spokesperson for the 5th Fleet operating out of Bahrain. That number includes those killed on the Cole and another three killed in an attack on Iraqi oil platforms in the northern gulf. "We train our commanding officers and crews to be ready … That includes being aware of surroundings and putting together information in unique situations."
But as tensions mount, so does the potential for tragic mistakes, including accidental escalation and widening war. This isn't a prediction, of course. Just a reminder.
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: JanetW @ 05/09/2008 6:38:54 PM
Comment: http://tomrancich.com/resources/articles.php?obj=article&oid=49&momId=47
Tom Rancich , Lieutenant Commander and former SEAL, prognosticated that the Navy was vulnerable to a Cole-like attack well before it ever happened. Like Cassandra, his advice was ignored but his article in the Naval Institute newsletter laid it all out. I wonder how many other military professionals believe as he does, that America's best response in the aftermath of the Cole would have been to buttress our position there, rather than retreat. What would truly have honoured the lives lost in the Cole?
So it was with such a sense of deja vu that I read this Newsweek article. At least it seems, to me, that Gates understands the need to have a show of strength.
Posted By: MGJEW @ 05/03/2008 7:20:03 PM
Comment: Attacking Iran. I guess we have been tricked...excuse me "conned" into fighting another war for Israel. Every country except for US, Israel & UK know that Iran is no threat. The only threat is that Israel wants to be the only country in that region with Nuclear Weapons....What are they hiding in Dimona?
Posted By: sound off @ 05/03/2008 11:58:50 AM
Comment: Please forgive me, that was a Key input error.