Lie Pie Title:   Obama and the Pirates:  The REAL Story
Lie Pie Classification:    election lie pie, flag wrap

4/22/09 UPDATE:  Looks like this one has hit the big time.  You can now read more about it at MSNBC's First Read, Snopes.com and UrbanLegends.About.com.

4/28/09 UPDATE:  I've been keeping an eye out for discussion of this viral email on various blogs and message boards.  Some folks seem determined to believe that an unsourced viral email is factual and Snopes.com, MSNBC, and the Obama administration are all engaged in a massive cover-up, possibly even going so far as scrubbing the Pure Pursuit Information Center's website from the internet.  I don't believe TruthOrFiction.com has been accused of participating in any left-wing conspiracies, so perhaps those who mistrust Snopes and MSNBC should read what TruthOrFiction.com has to say about the pirate story.    

Editor's Note:  Here's a new one that appears to be all the rage right now, though I haven't seen it yet on Snopes.com or any other fact check site.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you it's pure bull.  Here are a few clues:

Notice how the "REAL" story of Obama and the pirates comes from a "very reliable source."  If you are like me, you required better sourcing for gossip in junior high.  I'm particularly skeptical since this email appears to be a product of the "Pure Pursuit Information Center", an organization I never heard of and can't find any information on except a few references on blogs.  But since they have a fighter jet in their logo, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt:

Let's suppose for a moment that some form of this story actually did originate from "some SEAL pals."  Honey, I used to live in Maryland, and many of my neighbors worked at the National Security Agency (NSA).  A couple of them delivered their political opinions very decisively and expected you to take their word for gospel because they worked at the NSA.  Undoubtedly, hundreds of folks at the NSA are privy to classified information in their specific areas of expertise, but far fewer are analysts with even an inkling of how all the pieces fit together in the big intelligence puzzle.  There are also folks who work at the NSA who are in charge of "pens" and "toilet paper."  Their NSA employment notwithstanding, my neighbors appeared to rely mostly on talk radio to inform their political opinions.  No disrespect intended, but I don't buy it that just because someone happens to work at the NSA or is a Navy SEAL he has access to the same intelligence information as the President of the United States and his closest advisors.  It's unfortunate/convenient that we don't know who these SEAL pals are because I'd like to know just how close they were to the action during the 5 day standoff.        

While his dizzying use of acronyms and military nomenclature is breathtaking, and his references to the pirates as "raggies" is downright gritty, if I had to call it, I'd say the person who wrote this viral email is up to his eyeballs full of B.S.  There's an acronym for you.  If it looks like B.S. and smells like B.S., it's probably B.S.  Like my neighbors in Maryland, "Dick" likely spends too much time listening to talk radio, reading poorly sourced blogs, and riding on the military's coat tails.  Don't put your money on him, folks.   

You can read more about Obama's handling of the pirate hostage crisis in this article from the AP and this article from CNN.com.  --Granny, 4/17/09

UPDATE:  Looks like this got started on a blog.  No sources, and key facts wrong (i.e. Capt. Phillips did not jump from the "inflatable" lifeboat into the ocean twice.)  So, this didn't come from any SEAL pals, as the Pure Pursuit Information Center would like you to believe.  --Granny, 4/17/09 

Subject: Another Account: "The real story of Obama's Decision Making with the hostages."

LIMITED DISSEMINATION

Many thanks to Dick for passing this along…it reportedly comes from a "very reliable source."  In any event, I thought it worthwhile reading.

Having spoken to some SEAL pals here in Virginia Beach yesterday and asking why this thing dragged out for 4 days, I got the following:

1.  BHO wouldn't authorize the DEVGRU/NSWC SEAL teams to the scene for 36 hours going against OSC (on scene commander) recommendation.

2.  Once they arrived, BHO imposed restrictions on their ROE that they couldn't do anything unless the hostage's life was in "imminent" danger

3.  The first time the hostage jumped, the SEALS had the raggies all sighted in, but could not fire due to ROE restriction

4.  When the navy RIB came under fire as it approached with supplies, no fire was returned due to ROE restrictions.  As the raggies were shooting at the RIB, they were exposed and the SEALS had them all dialed in.

5.  BHO specifically denied two rescue plans developed by the Bainbridge CPN and SEAL teams

6.  Bainbridge CPN and SEAL team CDR finally decide they have the OpArea and OSC authority to solely determine risk to hostage.  4 hours later, 3 dead raggies

7.  BHO immediately claims credit for his "daring and decisive" behaviour.  As usual with him, it's BS.

So per our last email thread, I'm downgrading Obama's performace to D-.  Only reason it's not an F is that the hostage survived.

Read the following accurate account.

Philips first leap into the warm, dark water of the Indian Ocean hadn't worked out as well. With the Bainbridge in range and a rescue by his country Navy possible, Philips threw himself off of his lifeboat prison, enabling Navy shooters onboard the destroyer a clear shot at his captors and none was taken.  The guidance from National Command Authority the president of the United States, Barack Obama had been clear: a peaceful solution was the only acceptable outcome to this standoff unless the hostages life was in clear, extreme danger. 

The next day, a small Navy boat approaching the floating raft was fired on by the Somali pirates and again no fire was returned and no pirates killed. This was again due to the cautious stance assumed by Navy personnel thanks to the combination of a lack of clear guidance from Washington and a mandate from the commander in chiefs staff not to act until Obama, a man with no background of dealing with such issues and no track record of decisiveness, decided that any outcome other than a “peaceful solution would be acceptable. 

After taking fire from the Somali kidnappers again Saturday night, the on-scene-commander decided he'd had enough.  Keeping his authority to act in the case of a clear and present danger to the hostage life and having heard nothing from Washington since yet another request to mount a rescue operation had been denied the day before, the Navy officer unnamed in all media reports to date decided the AK47 one captor had leveled at Philips back was a threat to the hostages life and ordered the NSWC team to take their shots.  Three rounds downrange later, all three brigands became enemy KIA and Philips was safe.

There is upside, downside, and spinside to the series of events over the last week that culminated in yesterday dramatic rescue of an American hostage.  Almost immediately following word of the rescue, the Obama administration and its supporters claimed victory against pirates in the Indian Ocean and [1] declared that the dramatic end to the standoff put paid to questions of the inexperienced presidents toughness and decisiveness.  Despite the Obama administration (and its sycophants) attempt to spin yesterdays success as a result of bold, decisive leadership by the inexperienced president, the reality is nothing of the sort.  What should have been a standoff lasting only hours as long as it took the USS Bainbridge and its team of NSWC operators to steam to the location became an embarrassing four day and counting standoff between a ragtag handful of criminals with rifles and a U.S. Navy warship.