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.
SPONSORED BY:
Bluff and Bloodshed
Email To A Friend
Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.
SPONSORED BY
"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
Presented By
My Take
Each Newsweek reader is different—and now your Newsweek can be, too. Use this page to create a experience that's personalized for you and your interests. My Take: it makes Newsweek whatever you want it to be.
Discuss