Article

2012-10-21 Home Front: WoT

Could U.S. Military Have Helped During Libya Attack?

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Sherry 2012-10-21 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 We don't sacrifice our navy seals. A six hour firefight? Holy Christ, these guys were counting on America, and with a predator above they got nothing...... I bet the prez was watching live, frozen, unable to make a decision while loyal brave Americans died.... I'm sick and the taste of bile is strong...

Posted by 49 pan 2012-10-21 00:10|| 2012-10-21 00:10|| Front Page Top

#2 You are not alone, 49pan

Posted by lotp 2012-10-21 11:12|| 2012-10-21 11:12|| Front Page Top

#3 If we're going to learn anything from this horrific fiasco, could it be that we should have dedicated quick reaction teams set up near various hot spots in the world ready to move if an embassy, consulate or personnel are attacked?

Such teams need not necessarily be A-10s or AC-130s, though I have no qualms setting an AC-130 upon an unruly mob trying to kill one of our ambassadors. I also see no need to advertise the presence of these teams, though I like the deterrence value of an AC-130. And we certainly don't need such teams in more civilized parts of the world.

But where there is potential trouble, we ought to plan ahead, best we can. That means having resources in place, and having the intel, insight and will in Washington to protect the people we put into harm's way.

Posted by Steve White 2012-10-21 11:49|| 2012-10-21 11:49|| Front Page Top

#4 Thank you CBS for this timely administration cover-for=action piece.

Allegedly,... again allegedly, NO ONE worried much about "violating the airspace" from Bagram Air Base, AFG to Abbattabad, PAK. Weak, very, very weak.

Sorry, no phueching sale here.

Posted by Besoeker 2012-10-21 12:03|| 2012-10-21 12:03|| Front Page Top

#5 If there was a Predator in the area it could have lased for a precision munition carried by an F-16 or F-18. Which could have made the trip from Sigonella in an hour or maybe less, it's hard for me to tell from the map.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-10-21 12:12|| 2012-10-21 12:12|| Front Page Top

#6 If you can phueching....fly folks out, you very likely.... FLY FOLKS IN! It would appear that hours went by and no one did anything. No one made an effort to even secure the facility, check for survivors hidden out somewhere, or recover the dead. What about that bunch of 50 or so detainees that the Libyan "good guys" were alleged to have rounded up ? What happened to those people ?

Posted by Besoeker 2012-10-21 12:20|| 2012-10-21 12:20|| Front Page Top

#7 If they had time to put a preditor over there, they had time to fly anything there. It is the slowest thing in the air.

With clean surveillance and communications with the consulate, we could even have fired in cruise missiles to cover the attackers outside with our guys inside the building.

There were hundreds of options, and at least a dozen good ones. Just like Hillary had to fall on the lack of security grenade last week, Pannetta will have to drop, cover and roll to put this fire out.

This is a real screw up.

Posted by rammer 2012-10-21 14:30|| 2012-10-21 14:30|| Front Page Top

#8 "A lot can go well, right, as we saw with the bin Laden raid. It was a very successful event," he says. "But also, when there are high risk activities like this. a lot can go wrong, as we saw with the Iranian hostage rescue decades ago."

Going out on a limb there eh, Mr. Nelson?

Posted by Pappy 2012-10-21 14:44|| 2012-10-21 14:44|| Front Page Top

#9 I just read a report that said spec ops troops were staged an hour out of lybia waiting for the go ahead. The fight lasted six hours, ther for were in a position to be saved.

Posted by 49 pan 2012-10-21 22:20|| 2012-10-21 22:20|| Front Page Top

#10 Thanks 49 pan.... we knew AFRICOM had Special Forces crawling all over North Africa and I've been wondering where they were....

Posted by Sherry 2012-10-21 23:09|| 2012-10-21 23:09|| Front Page Top

#11 My guess is that they had a hard time finding Valerie Jarred to get her approval to do anything.

After Bin-Laden she probably left strict orders with Barack not to do approve anything without her ok.

Posted by CrazyFool 2012-10-21 23:38|| 2012-10-21 23:38|| Front Page Top

00:19 JosephMendiola
23:38 CrazyFool
23:37 JosephMendiola
23:13 rjschwarz
23:09 Sherry
22:55 Secret Master
22:45 Secret Master
22:20 49 pan
21:56 Frank G
21:50 SteveS
21:46 tu3031
21:20 Alaska Paul
21:18 Alaska Paul
21:17 Mullah Richard
21:08 Mullah Richard
21:02 SteveS
20:50 Frank G
20:50 Glenmore
20:42 Pstanley
20:40 Skidmark
20:17 lotp
20:10 SteveS
20:05 Shinter Javirong9154
20:01 Water Modem