http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39622062/ns/us_news-security/

U.S. failure to retaliate for USS Cole attack rankled then — and now

PBEAO

Place blame early and often. There's no shortage of it to spread around.

It was actually FDR's fault.

As long as we're throwing blame around,..................

It was LBJ's fault,

.....for not cutting ties with Israel after the attack of the USS Liberty.

According to my wife, it was ALL my fault.

You could always blame the Brits for not handling the whole mess better after WW2. I'll blame Clinton instead, though.

You could blame the Brits for Balfour as well if ya really want to dive into it neck deep.

Yeah, well I blame King George for the revolution while we're at it . . .

That's the beauty of blame, there's never a shortage of it to spread around.

Eve. That bitch is to blame.

My honey always tries to tell me it was Adam who ate the apple

Now I remember why I like Dogfish....the chickens were making me wonder.

Of course its your fault.

You could always ask why the hell we put U.S. war ships in Yemen? Or you could ask what you'd think about having Yemenese ships in the U.S.?

Heard a poll yesterday that 60% of Pakistan residents consider the U.S. to be an enemy. And they are our partner. Virtually guarantees more stuff like the Cole bombing when even your allies don't want you there.

+1

A trip home is long overdue.

I would agree that we need to bring everybody home, but all the Cole was doing in Yemen was refueling. Yemen has diplomatic relations with the US, and our ship was refueling there. They had been in port for about 2 hours. Granted that they were in the area supporting US military efforts against Iraq (no-fly zone), but they were not in a war zone, per se.

The U.S. has diplomatic relations with virtually everyone except a handful of countries. That doesn't mean I want to see Iraqi, Pakistani, and Yemenese warships in Seattle getting their fuel.

The U.S. was also keenly aware the ship was in a questionable, if not hostile, territory.

I'm certainly not justifying the attacks. Simply stating that some situations like this are easily avoidable.

In no way was the attack justified but we should check our expectations.

Kind of like sticking your hand inside a hornet's nest and expecting not to be stung.

To me that about sums up our decades-long involvement in political affairs in the middle east. Stiring up a hornet's nest for no good reason whatsoever.

We'd be much better served by minding our own business, let them blow each other to hell, and let God/Allah/Buddha/Yahweh sort 'em out.

I agree, but would Buddha really try to blow up a ship?

No he wouldn't.

But when he was done meditating under a tree for 20yrs I'm he sure he'd be more than willing to help sort out a few corpses/lost souls