Flopping Aces: Obama’s Order Not To Rescue Hostage Confirmed By Pentagon And NSA

H/T/ Pat Dollard.

Flopping Aces:

Posted by: Alec Rawls

Stung by the widely circulated “SEAL pals” account of what really happened in Somalia (discussed here last Friday), the Obama administration had National Security Advisor James L. Jones and a number of anonymous Pentagon sources give their side two days ago in a Washington Times exclusive. Their mission, according to reporter Bill Gertz, was:

… to dispel Internet reports that the military was delayed from taking action by indecision inside the White House.
 
Clintonesque parsing of words is evident throughout the Jones-Pentagon account, amounting on more than one occasion to outright dishonesty. Yet the actual information they provide (as opposed to the lawyerly spin they try to put on it) actually confirms the most damning details in BooBooFan’s purported SEAL report.

Exhibit 1: The Rules Of Engagement.

BooBooFan states the ROE this way:

Once [SEAL teams] arrived, BHO imposed restrictions on their ROE that they couldn’t do anything unless the hostage’s life was in “imminent” danger.

The Pentagon’s rebuttal states the ROE without any requirement that the danger be “imminent”:

“It took awhile to get facts and then to get the military on scene,” said one senior military official, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of discussing special forces operations. “As the picture got more clear and commanders’ requests went back down the chain, the guidance was: ‘We would like a peaceful resolution. However, if Captain Phillips’ life is in danger you can take appropriate action.’

But we know from Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, speaking at the time of the incident, that the ROE did specify “imminent danger,” and that this was interpreted literally:

Read the entire report here.