I hadn't weighed in on this topic yet because I hadn't had the time, and was certain that Obama's military advisors would push for this action, and that he would, most likey, follow that advice. I am glad he did. Now let's all hope that America takes the leading role in eliminating this piracy once and for all.

And for teh record, I would never have blamed Obama for something that has been going on for quite some time. Clinton should have wiped these criminals from existence before they had the means to become pirates(aka Muslim extremists in boats), and Bush should have blown these savages out of the water years ago. Let's hope that Obama does just that the next time they threaten ANYONE. They are, after all, nothing more than (enter policically correct phraseology), extorting nations for money to fight their Jihad and create more "man made disasters" either here or in "overseas contingency plans".

My enemy is hated..Show him no quarter

motopoet: there is no connection, to date, between jihadists and the pirates.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/...

However, I agree that the whole piracy thing has to be stopped quickly because the terrorists can't have been ignoring this, can they? If they'll use opium sales, they'll certainly use ransom from big corporations. It's a wonder they haven't taken a lead already in the pirate biz.

vanityfair: don't know which little blurb you are talking about, however in general, quoting Washington officials is fairly accepted practice in politics. 

Let's look at your little blurbs:

Two of the three (first and third) are exactly the same text written by the same guy without a shred of reference himself. The second one on the list is a segment from another blog. The only evidence offered by either of these two stories is in this last one, in which the fact that the pirates are Muslims is given as proof as their ties to al quaeda and their jihadist intentions. There is nothing else.

I hope you don't feel attacked when I suggest that it seems very much like you didn't read the materials you referenced, that you seem to have trouble analyzing the relative reliability of reference material, and that the use of the language "lame little blurb" is antagonistic. I apologize in advance for the feelings of being under attack here, but for those who are reading our exchange, I think it is important to note these things in the hope they will chase down the details I mention for their own edification.

One can only suspect that your prescient statement, "though  you'll immediately dismiss the sources..." came from a fairly clear understanding, on your part, that they were highly dismissable from the first. Personally, I avoid posting any such references. It makes for a much stronger argument and makes you look far less like an idealogue. Again, nothing personal, I'm just sayin'.

OMG, someone is STILL full of himself.

Always will be, apparently, nancyii.

So, about those references of yours...

I say give credit where credit is due...not an easy thing to hit a target while bobbing up and down and side to side while on a ship--those marksmen did one heck of a job---Yes, someone had to have given the ' order '---and the order was given--does it really matter who gave the order---the rescue worked--time to turn the page---or wait for his book to come out...

The ships captain gave the order. Obama said it was OK. Who actually made the tougher decision?

DS, what references wout that be?  The full of himself comment?

"The ships captain gave the order. Obama said it was OK. Who actually made the tougher decision?"

um .... that's stupid.

You guys want to talk about balls some more?

--virgil

Does it really matter now?  The captain is safe.  A message has been sent.

It matters to folks who are interested in history, proportion and references. References such as the ones you gave in one of your posts that don't pan out, while belittling another that would suffice for a Ph.D. dissertation.

About the shot: they were towing the life boat at the time, so it was in the bigger ships draft, which is pretty steady water.

About the order: it helps the men all the way down the line to know they are acting on the orders of the guy above them, don't you think?

Despite what anyone reads, our military does have disciplined trigger restraint. Shooting without authorization is the exception, not the rule.

I recall last year watching a young marine sniper being interviewed in Iraq. He killed his target at 1200 yards (with authorization to shoot). Blowing away three targets with three shots is not exceptional for a special ops team. Glad their on our side.

Meantime, pirates have "sworn vengence" and say they will execute French and American hostages for the intercepted high jackings. The pirate problem will probably escalate before it gets resolved.

vanityfair: I just deleted about four paragraphs of stuff that might have changed your life, but more likely you would have come back at me with some claim about being attacked.

Instead, I will pause just long enough for this:

tell me - do words like "well aware" as opposed to simply "aware", "sneer", "blindly accept", "such ignorance" (especially in light of the admission in paragraph 3: "I haven't trusted any of those "releases"...), Michelle camp.... etc., "ashamed"...

How much of that choice of language was meant to engage me in honest debate? 

And if I reacted differently, would you say that the problem starts with me?

btw: I'm a white man and would be proud as hell to be placed in Michelle's 'camp'. This is, after all, the 21st Century. Since you are defending a baseless attack on the President, what 'camp' does that put you in?

vanityfair: when I answer your fluff in kind, even partially, you feel 'attacked'; whatever am I going to do with you?

I'm looking for a question.

Was it this: "Who knows?" I would suspect the good Lord knows. Who else? I can't say.

If you had another question, I didn't see it. The foolishness, the attempts at mind-reading, the sophomorisims, I saw all that. I don't take those as questions.

I'm glad that we agree on one thing, and with that I will sleep quite peacefully: we can let the grown-ups take care of it. As the folks in control of 'it' are presently Democrats, this suits me fine.

Sleep well vanityfair and thanks much. I am getting much better at resisting bait and snarkiness and you have been a good trainer. I owe you, truly.