“We Recommend Running Away”
This is the bold response of the Obama Navy
(CNN) — Pirates off the eastern coast of Somalia picked the wrong target this week when they tried to attack a U.S. Navy ship, the Navy said Thursday.
…The Lewis and Clark sped up and tried to escape the pirates, and the ship’s security team issued verbal warnings to the approaching skiffs, the Navy said.
… “The actions taken by Lewis and Clark were exactly what the U.S. Navy has been recommending to prevent piracy attacks — for both commercial and military vessels,” said Capt. Steve Kelley, commander of Task Force 53, assigned to the Lewis and Clark.
“Merchant mariners can and should use Lewis and Clark’s actions as an unequivocal example of how to prevent a successful attack from occurring,” he said, adding that “the US Navy will not hesitate to taunt them a second time should they approach one of our vessels again.”
The commander of the Lewis and Clark, Brave Sir Robin, was unavailable for comment.
Military Thingies | Mr. Bingley | 
May 8, 2009 6:21 am
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From the article…
“The Greeks hit the approaching skiff, causing the pirates’ boat to capsize,”
Lovely, the Greeks are showing more fortitude than us.
What were the taunts? “I fart in your general direction”?
WTF?
WTF?
WTF?????
If the Navy runs away from pirates, we are so screwed. Cripes, just the fact that they felt emboldened enough to attack a frickin’ U.S. Navy ship says we are already screwed.
In all fairness, the L&C is a dry cargo and ammunition ship, not a warship. It’s mission is logistical, not tactical. Given the small numbers of that type, and likely high demand, in the US fleet, they really can’t be bothered fighting every pirate on their course. As appealing as that might be to the crew, I suspect.
OTOH, I just realized that little fact was buried way at the bottom of the article. A fair and balanced article would have noted that the L&C is closer to an armed merchant ship than a frigate or destroyer…..and closer to the lead paragraph.
As written, it implies that the US Navy is afraid of pirates. I don’t believe that to be the case.
Not a matter of them being afraid Jeff, it’s a matter of what their Rules of Engagement are. And knowing Obama “your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberriers” routine might not be so far off the truth.
Of course it does stand that from what I can find there’s roughly only 50 military personel on the thing and around 130 civilian mariners. Course…it does displace 41k tons, run the bastards over!
Elderberries even.
I don’t doubt that the crew wanted to kill the pirates, Ebola. A skiff against against an armed vessel hundreds of times larger? ‘Tis to laugh!
But those rules of engagement probably say “non-combatant ships will not engage in combat unless that’s the only option”. And it’s entirely possible that those orders existed prior to The Ascension Of The Won™.
I don’t care what the rules of engagement are. Those punks should have become shark bait. Jeez, what an embarrassment…
Why couldn’t they run away and shoot at the same time? What an embarrassment.
eh, I told ‘im we already got one!
Excuse the levity. It’s the first thing that comes to mind when I see Cleese dressed as a French soldier.
Oh guys, I feel for you. What the hell is going on?
Pog, no problem with the levity; I’m laughing about this so I don’t cry from shame. Those guys in the skiff should have been made into chum.
this is the unfortunate consequence of the obama administration…it is not only here on the high seas but in other dealings with the outlaws of the world as well…
I’m sure it had everything to do with the RoE, anyone who’s been in a potentially hostile area has the RoE pounded into them, especially the knowledge that you will be in deep kimchi if you do not follow the RoE. Knowing that the currnet CinC will not back up the military only makes everyone in uniform less likely to follow the maxim “better to ask for forgiveness than permission”. When it gets servicemen to start questioning the other maxim “better to be tried by twelve than carried by six” we’ll really be in trouble.
Sadly, I doubt we’ll be see too many L & C swabbies proudly displaying their ship’s name next Fleet Week.