Two Navy guided missile destroyers are being deployed off the coast of Libya, after attacks Tuesday on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi left four Americans dead, including the U.S. ambassador, military officials told Fox News.
Seems a Marine FAST team is in the area now, as well. For to do what, one has to wonder. While it seems unlikely anyone would send over a B-2 to leave behind a pair, or two, of special weapons over this, back in a day not so long departed retribution for a bombed night club showed itself in the form of Operation El Dorado Canyon. As far as military operations go, it weren’t that much of a deal, except for that ginormously long ride for the Zoomie Crew in their uber fabulous Aardvarks. Forth and back AROUND France and Spain (the latter as a matter of forced coincidence) with no place to stop and defuel one’s bladder; yer Humble Scribe woulda been grateful for a relief tube or a piddle pack or two. Ah, but I digress.
The forces called into play:
Target |
Planned |
Actual |
Aircraft |
Bombing |
Aircraft |
Hit |
Miss |
Bab al-Azizia barracks |
9× F-111F |
36× GBU-10 2,000 lb (910 kg) LGB |
3× bombed
1× missed
4× aborts
1× lost |
13 |
3 |
Murat Sidi Bilal camp |
3× F-111F |
12× GBU-10 2,000 lb LGB |
all bombed |
12 |
– |
Tripoli airfield
(fmr. Wheelus Air Base) |
6× F-111F |
72× Mk 82 500 lb (230 kg) RDB |
5× bombed
1× abort |
60 |
– |
Jamahiriyah (Benghazi) barracks |
7× A-6E |
84× Mk 82 500 lb RDB |
6× bombed
1× abort on deck |
70 |
2 |
Benina airfield |
8× A-6E |
72× Mk 20 500 lb CBU
24× Mk 82 500 lb RDB |
6× bombed
2× aborts |
60× Mk 20
12× Mk 82 |
– |
Air defense
networks |
Tripoli |
6× A-7E |
8× Shrike
16× HARM |
all aircraft fired |
8× Shrike
16× HARM |
Benghazi |
6× F/A-18 |
4× Shrike
20× HARM |
all aircraft fired |
4× Shrike
20× HARM |
Totals |
45 aircraft |
300 bombs
48 missiles |
35 bombed
1 missed
1 lost
8 aborts |
227 hits
5 misses
48 homing missiles |
All that and more for a night club we didn’t even own, the cause being there were American Service men and women in the night club. America took offense at the attack on our kin, and none more so than our then-President, Ronald Reagan. Three Aircraft Carrier Battle Groups and 18 of the aforementioned uber fabulous Aardvarks later, all was not well in Libya. “Take a poke at us, and we’ll bust yer beak” was the message, and Libya got it. Muammar Gaddafi went dark, and the world was seldom troubled by hearing his voice again for more than two decades.
That was then, in a day of REAL national leadership.
Today, we mourn the loss of an American Ambassador and three of his team. We ponder, querulously, the attack on not just one, but now three Embassies. For those who missed this morning’s America’s Newsroom, sorry to be the bearer of more bad news. We now have a third Embassy under attack in Yemen. Clearly not a coincidence. Clearly not a matter of happenstance. Clearly, a matter of blown intelligence. Or was it? Clearly, coordinated events not being responded to in adequate fashion…as yet. Clearly, Americans have no hope of there being an adequate response.
Frankly, I’m sick and tired of bashing the current National Command Authority. Frankly, it needs to be changed out for leadership focused on protecting American interests. Frankly, that the current National Command Authority has not responded in a more forceful manner is, in the opinion of yer humble scribe, outright treason. Traveling to New York to commiserate with certain of our enemies, as well as some limpity DJ, is not the response we seek. As a nation, we seem to find ourselves in the days of Neville Chamberlain, wherein we hear proclamations of “All is well. Fret not”. As a nation, I pray we respond “Not so!” and give the author of such utterances his comeuppance.
The morning wears on, and I’ve not yet had my cup of tea. With apologies to Hogday, such is a travesty in and of itself. One does not start one’s day without a cup of tea, but these attacks gave me cause for exception.
I’m infuriated by what is transpiring, and feel near helpless to give more response than I have here.
Now on to that cup of tea…