Today is the 11th anniversary of the USS Cole Bombing. A day that proved Political Correctness costs lives.
In 2000 when the USS Cole refueled in Yemen‘s port of Aden, Navy brass were so concerned about appearing to be “sensitive guests” that sailors patrolling the deck were not permitted to carry loaded weapons. Nor did the destroyer deploy “picket boats” and establish a defensive perimeter — even though Yemen had only recently been taken off the State Department‘s list of countries that sponsored terrorism. All this pandering to imaginary foreign sensitivities made it pitifully easy for an al Qaeda motorized skiff packed with explosives to approach the destroyer and blow a hole in its side, killing seventeen sailors. Two hours after this entirely avoidable terrorist attack, another motorized skiff approached the stricken vessel. A sentry raised his rifle, only to be told by his superior: “Let me tell you something about the rules of engagement. You can’t point a loaded weapon at these people. That’s an act of aggression.” And you wonder why our enemies no longer take U.S. military power seriously?
Hat Tip to 365 Ways to Drive a Liberal Crazy
