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| Africa North |
| Barack Obama dispatches US marines to hunt killers |
| 2012-09-12 |
| Barack Obama dispatched 50 US marines to Libya to help hunt down the killers of American ambassador Chris Stevens as suspicions grew that the attack was planned and carefully orchestrated. The president vowed that “justice will be done” after Mr Stevens, 52, was killed by an Islamist mob in an attack on the US consulate in the eastern coastal city of Benghazi. Three other Americans were also killed in the raid, which came on the anniversary of September 11. The attack was initially thought to have been the work of a spontaneous mob, provoked by a US-made film ridiculing the Prophet Mohammed that had been highlighted by media outlets across the Middle East. However, there was mounting speculation that the attack on the Benghazi consulate, which also killed a second diplomat, Sean Smith, and two other US officials, had been carefully planned by al Qaeda linked Islamic extremists. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #28 50 more targets. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2012-09-12 23:55 |
| #27 OK. It has just been revealed that one of the dead Americans was reporting suspicious activity by the very Libyans guarding them to fellow gamers on line well before the killings. 1) I have no doubt the same suspicions were being reported to the State Department. 2) And Hillary congratulates the Libyans as Obama heads to Vegas in some weird CYA effort. Hillary and Obama are dangerous cold blooded mofos. |
| Posted by: Unomosh Johnson2128 2012-09-12 23:23 |
| #26 Mogadishu II. |
| Posted by: Unomosh Johnson2128 2012-09-12 22:57 |
| #25 I think I can now say that a one man's freedom fighter is another mans terrorist if that man is a Muslim. They don't believe in rules of war, and they have either chosen to fight against us, or refuse to choose sides which is the same thing. Screw 'em. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2012-09-12 21:43 |
| #24 Confusion over mission?? These Marines are not hunting for the killers - nor can they. They certainly can secure the embassy. Everything else is just electioneering whitewash. |
| Posted by: Raider 2012-09-12 21:34 |
| #23 50 US Marines with a couple of AC-130 gunships and a couple of squadrons of fighter bombers in direct support may be sufficient. Too bad we can no longer put a couple of battleships with 8" guns of the coast - lobbing a couple of Volkswagon-sized "warning shots" into the local Islamist part of town. I guess Tommahawk cruise missiles will just have to suffice. IF BACKED UP BY OUR FULL-SPECTRUM POWER, we don't need large numbers. |
| Posted by: Lone Ranger 2012-09-12 21:30 |
| #22 "'Can't let a crisis go to waste.'" Hillary Rodham Clinton" Give credit where credit's due, Clem. That wasn't Shrillery, that was Rahm Emanuel, Obama butt-buddy and present mayor of Chicago (God help them - they were stupid enough to elect him). |
| Posted by: Barbara 2012-09-12 20:46 |
| #21 Agree wid #12 - hunting down the Killers outside the Embassy or Consulate walls is more the purvue of the USN SEALS andor Army DELTA FORCE. IMO its was very likely an inside job, vee local Libyan Civie Employees or Security - the 50 US Marines will be useful reinforcing or replacing Security elements + supporting any internal investigations which undoubtedly will take place. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-09-12 20:08 |
| #20 While other embasies such as Tunisia, etc. are starting to see crowds, Obama will allow things to spin out of control around the world enough to attempt to use that as an excuse to suspend the U.S. elections. "Can't let a crisis go to waste." Hillary Rodham Clinto |
| Posted by: Clem Ulereper8278 2012-09-12 19:48 |
| #19 Cowardly Savages? Huh…wha? A few short months ago these SAME guys were part of that “Rag-Tag” bunch of reluctant warriors. You remember the Libyian Rebels don’tcha? They were the ones that Q-Man was gonna go door ta door and hunt down like rats. How’s your Limited Humanitarian mission with temporary kinetic activity workin’ for ya now? |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2012-09-12 19:16 |
| #18 This is not usually in the domain of the Marines. Look up MARSOC. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2012-09-12 18:56 |
| #17 Aw jeez, guys, come on. He has to LOOK like he's doing something. The Media will cover for him if anything more happens. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2012-09-12 18:47 |
| #16 To ferret out these rats is going to take good intelligence and cooperation. If we could not anticipate our embassy being over-run and our ambassador murdered, how are we going get the intelligence and cooperation we need to catch these guys. If Obumble is not careful he will end up with another Mogadishu such as happened under Clinton where far more boots on the ground were available. Park the fleet off shore and tell to them to deliver them or else. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2012-09-12 18:38 |
| #15 I say BS. This is not usually in the domain of the Marines. They are good at what they do but clandestine warfare is not their strength or for what they are trained. If Obumble is sending 50 Marines to Libya, he is attempting to make it appear he is doing something while not doing anything. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2012-09-12 18:25 |
| #14 From Wikipedia: The Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) is capable of rapidly deploying to immediately improve security at United States Government installations worldwide. FAST Marines are deployed at the discretion of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps when the primary and auxiliary security forces of the Marines are unable to adequately respond to a security crisis. FAST goes through the Close Quarters Battle School in a specialized course known as Advanced Urban Combat. Once completed, they are given the MOS of 8154. Established in 1987, FAST companies provide a limited-duration, expeditionary security force to protect vital naval and national assets. FAST maintains forward-deployed platoons at various naval commands around the globe, and possesses U.S.-based alert forces capable of rapidly responding to unforeseen contingencies worldwide. Each FAST company is equipped and trains with some of the most state-of-the-art weaponry and currently consists of around 500 Marines. FAST maintains a high degree of readiness in order to conduct these short-notice, limited-duration contingency operations, as seen in the port security mission following the attacks on the USS Cole (DDG-67) in October 2000 and the American Embassy reinforcements in Liberia and Haiti. On 12 September 2012 a FAST team was sent to Libya in response to the 2012 U.S. diplomatic missions attacks.[3] |
| Posted by: tu3031 2012-09-12 18:23 |
| #13 Send the mercenaries in and give them a field day.Anyone with a long beard is a suspect/target! |
| Posted by: Fester Clunter7205 2012-09-12 18:20 |
| #12 Sounds like the deployment of a FAST team to help secure the compound and the Embassy in Tripoli (my guess) ... these guys aren't hunter killers but protectors. If done correctly, we won't hear about the hunter-killers. |
| Posted by: Squinty Chaith8856 2012-09-12 17:54 |
| #11 The 50 marines will soon find out that Most muslims in Libya deep down support the attackers.Mr Stevens after all is American and an infidel which is the bottom line.They All listen to their religious leaders who are all anti american however moderate! |
| Posted by: Fester Clunter7205 2012-09-12 17:48 |
| #10 This should never have happened. A company I founded offers a compact remote weapon system that mounts the M-240. In this application it would sit in a closet until needed then deployed on the roof of the building mounted on a tripod or pre-installed pintle. The Marine using the system would be in defilade and could project force with pin point accuracy. The radicals would drop like flies and would quickly run for the hills. At a minimum it would provide the time needed to bug out. |
| Posted by: remoteman 2012-09-12 17:44 |
| #9 I assume they will have the proper paperwork in triplicate and all possible languages, have completed at least Cultural Sensitivity II, and have all necessary lawyers on podcast meeting. Oh, and only one mag of non-lethal rounds to be carried in its own seperate double zippered bag. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2012-09-12 17:12 |
| #8 Depends on the ordnance they'd be rattling with |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2012-09-12 17:12 |
| #7 BS. 50 Marines might be enough to secure the embassy and provide escort/protection for it's personnel. Nothing more. A platoon of Marines is NOT going to rattle around Libya knocking on doors or arresting native Libyans. |
| Posted by: tipover 2012-09-12 17:10 |
| #6 Lovely! We now have 'boots on the ground' in Libya. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2012-09-12 17:06 |
| #5 Of course. Under-manned, and undoubtedly with a restrictive ROE. Sheep to the slaughter, in other words. "Ave, Caesar! Te morituri salutat." |
| Posted by: mojo 2012-09-12 16:51 |
| #4 50? |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2012-09-12 16:38 |
| #3 They'll be issued pillows and some 'attack bunnies' (unfortunatley not 'The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog'). |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2012-09-12 16:38 |
| #2 Yes. They will be the same ones that they had in Beirut. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2012-09-12 16:37 |
| #1 Will their ROE be different from those in Afghanistan? |
| Posted by: Jerese Throluse8136 2012-09-12 16:35 |