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Still Supporting The Troops — Why Now?
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Still Supporting The Troops

by Bryan

Commander Kirk Lippold didn’t receive a briefing saying that al Qaeda was determined to attack his ship and the investigation cleared him and his crew of wrongdoing in the attack on the USS Cole, but he’s being held accountable:

The attack killed 17 sailors and nearly sank the destroyer in Aden harbor, Yemen. A Navy investigation concluded in 2001 that Cmdr. Kirk Lippold and his crew probably could not have prevented the attack and should not be punished.

But in a written statement Monday, the Navy said Secretary Donald C. Winter concluded after reviewing the matter that Lippold’s actions before the attack on October 12, 2000, “did not meet the high standard” expected of commanding officers.

What about the high standards for Presidents or Secretaries of Defense? What about the generals responsible for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? What about the CIA director who signed off on the Iraq intelligence?

7 comments

1 pissed off patricia { 08.22.06 at 6:10 am }

Damn, that’s a seriously good point.

Why not also hold the chimpster in chief accountable for starting a war based on lies too? Appears he will leave office in 08 and not have to face any of his crimes. How can that be?

2 Bryan { 08.22.06 at 9:38 am }

With this crowd, it’s always the lower ranks that are expected to do their jobs while the Flag officers and civilian leaders get medals and promotions for failures.

3 jamsodonnell { 08.22.06 at 2:08 pm }

Hmm isn’t it the case that if you are senior you get “kicked upstairs” for failure, if you are junior you get kicked…

4 jamsodonnell { 08.22.06 at 2:09 pm }

Sorry I should have added that I mean for the failure of the senior ones

5 Bryan { 08.22.06 at 2:15 pm }

Jams, it works in the same in business and the military, and having been in both I understood you without the addition. The sewage flows downhill.

6 phinky { 08.22.06 at 8:26 pm }

I thought the statute of limitations would have run out on this one. I bet the Captain said something that offended the delicate sensibilities of this administration and that’s why he’s getting hammered six years after the fact.

7 Bryan { 08.22.06 at 9:15 pm }

The Cole was attacked while Clinton was still in office, so it’s okay to demand responsibility of the Commander. If it had happened under Bush he’d be an admiral of the fleet by now.