Thumbs Up For Obama and the SEALS.

The news over the weekend that Navy Seal snipers smoked three Somalian “pirates” in a daring and flawlessly executed rescue of kidnapped Captain Richard Phillips made most Americans stand a little taller. Incidentally, can we stop calling these murderous thugs pirates? They’re terrorists and pirates sound too romantic. Johnny Depp these guys aren’t.
I must say I went into this whole thing with very low expectations. We have a new president who’s been on something of a world apology tour having to deal with a terrorist incident with a decidedly Muslim feel to it. Mr. Obama had recently indicated the United States is not at war with Islam or Muslims. No sooner had he made that statement than the American cargo ship, the Maersk Alabama, was seized by Somalian thugs 300 miles out in the Indian Ocean. The crew retook the ship but not before seeing Captain Phillips taken prisoner aboard a life boat.
For days we saw the spectacle of the USS Bainbridge idling about 100 feet from the lifeboat containing Captain Phillips and his captors. The lifeboat which had run out of fuel continued to drift toward the Somalia coast and was said to be within 10 miles of land. At one point in this drama Captain Phillips actually escaped the lifeboat and attempted to swim to the Bainbridge. His escape was thwarted when the terrorists begin firing at him and he returned to the lifeboat.
My reaction was what the heck was the Navy doing? Why didn’t they whistle a howitzer at the lifeboat and pluck the good Captain from the sea. I guess that’s why nobody ever nominated me for the Naval Academy. Then the news broke that France had actually rescued hostages being held by more Somalian thugs and had used deadly force in the process. Mon dieu! France actually attacked someone and won.
Here’s what I thought was coming next. President Obama, in full democrat hand wringing mode, would send the hero of the Bosnian tarmac, Hillary Clinton, to negotiate the release of Captain Phillips. She would probably be accompanied by Special Envoy Richard Holbrook, in case Madam Secretary began growing a spine. The hours and days would go by and the terrorists and their captive would make their way to land. Various deadlines would come and go and the story would fade from view as hope subsided. A few weeks from now it would be reported that Captain Phillip’s body had been recovered and we would have more negotiations about its return. This thing had Jimmy Carter written all over it.
Boy was I wrong and I couldn’t be happier. President Obama served notice that he’s President of the United States of America not Moveon.org or Cindy Sheehan nation.
He remained calm and focused and quietly authorized the Navy to use deadly force if necessary to save Captain Phillips. Unlike his predecessor George Bush, there was no chest thumping or doing the cock walk. President Obama apparently knows the United States is still the strongest nation on the face of the earth and won’t be dictated to by a bunch of marauding criminals masquerading as latter day buccaneers.
I suspect the President knows full well these criminals will try again and may be quick to avenge their loss. That is a price President Obama has clearly chosen to pay. Terrorists have for too long counted on the United States to tire of any prolonged military confrontation or unpleasantness. While not justifying our costly incursion into Iraq, may I draw your attention to the thousands of Iraqi terrorists currently receiving visitors at the graveyard? One of life’s proven facts is bad guys go somewhere else if they think you really mean it.
But ultimate kudos goes to the Navy Seal snipers who fired simultaneously taking out all three terrorists in an instant. Their action had to be precise and there was no second chance for Captain Phillips if even one sniper was off the mark. Congratulations to those brave Seals. You made us proud to be Americans. Hats off to the Navy itself for nurturing and training such extraordinary people. You don’t just wake up one morning lying on the fantail of a huge naval ship and start picking off terrorists in the dark. It takes discipline and training and the Navy clearly meted out both.
So let’s hear it for our new President and his courage to stand up for America without apology.