Wednesday Short Takes
Clearing up some confusion – the strife over striking the two survivors of the September drug smugglers’ attack continues. If, like me, you remember reading of two survivors from an earlier attack being repatriated, OR getting killed in a follow-on strike – which was it?
Oct. 16: The U.S. military struck a semisubmersible vessel suspected of being used to smuggle drugs, killing two people. Two survivors were detained aboard a Navy ship, the first time the United States found itself holding prisoners in what Mr. Trump has treated as a military campaign.
Rather than bring them to the United States for prosecution or hold them in longer-term military detention, the administration soon repatriated the survivors to their countries, Colombia and Ecuador, averting legal and logistical dilemmas. Mr. Trump said the survivors were being returned to their home countries to face “detention and prosecution.”NY Times
The attack in which two survivors were killed in a follow-on strike was the first attack on September 2nd. Different attack.
Oh, and from my column Monday: although most likely if there is blame to be assigned, we all know some poor service member like the commander will be allowed to fall on his sword instead. We now know who gets that dubious privilege.
The commander overseeing the operation from Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Adm. Frank M. “Mitch” Bradley, told people on the secure conference call that the survivors were still legitimate targets because they could theoretically call other traffickers to retrieve them and their cargo, according to two people. He ordered the second strike to fulfill Hegseth’s directive that everyone must be killed. Detroit News
November 2th the Army opened its first robotic chow hall for a six-month trial run.
“Soldiers and civilians can select menu items on a touchscreen interface and the system automatically portions, cooks and plates each meal,” the release reads. The robotic cooking system is programmed to make meals using Army recipes.
A display shows nutritional information and food choices, including Korean dishes like bibimbap, kimchi fried rice and budae jjigae.
“Our culinary specialists will still handle food safety, ingredient prep and quality control,” said Chief Warrant Officer River Mitchell, food advisor for the unit, in the release. The changes are not intended to replace soldiers, but to feed them “anytime, anywhere,” he said, adding that it is a supplement — not a replacement — to existing systems. Military Times
Okay, I understand trying a different approach to chow hall issues. But who’s gonna dribble cigarette ash into my scrambled eggs? They really don’t taste right without it. (H/t to Jeff LPH)
And I am sure this will thrill any recent three-letter agency types among us. Wright USA, is an insurer who sells liability insurance to FBI and CIA type personnel. But…did anyone know that China’s Fosun Group bought Wright in 2015?
The Chinese government was involved in the deal: fresh data seen by the BBC reveals that four Chinese state banks had provided a $1.2bn (£912m) loan, routed through the Cayman Islands, to allow Fosun to buy Wright USA.
Well, at least the Chinese government is very hands-off in deals like that….yeah, right. There is a good side to it. The news was broken by journalist Jeff Stein:
Stein’s story ran in Newsweek magazine. And there was a swift reaction in Washington: triggering an inquiry by the branch of the US Treasury that screens investments, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Shortly after, the company was sold again – back to Americans. It’s unclear who ordered that sale.
High-level US intelligence sources confirm the Wright USA sale was one of the cases that led the first Trump administration to tighten its investment laws in 2018. BBC
2015… wonder which administration’s idiots approved THAT deal?
And in closing…you enjoyed that Thanksgiving meal? You like turkey? You’re full of sh*t, according to our VP. No, I am not kidding.
While speaking to troops at Ford Campbell, Ky., on Nov. 26, Vance, 41, railed against the bird, asking the troops, “Who really likes — be honest with yourself — who really likes turkey?”
To the service members who raised their hands, Vance replied, “You’re all full of s—, everybody who raised your hand.
How many times do you roast an 18-lbs. turkey, just randomly? Just, you know, a nice summer afternoon, we’re gonna go get an 18-lbs. turkey. Nobody does it, ‘cause turkey doesn’t actually taste that good.” People
Ol’ JD seems to think if you want to fry it, you don’t really like it, too. Me, I am thinking he has never been on a budget – pound for pound turkey is a very inexpensive meal, and if he thinks it has to be fried to be edible: well, JD, I am glad Usha is a successful lawyer – she sure doesn’t sound like much of a cook. Either that, or he’s a bit of an idiot. Telling soldiers they are full of sh*t at Thanksgiving… yeah, he obviously learned his social skills from his boss.
From what I read in various reports including the noted right-wing rag, The New York Times, the SECWAR ordered the destruction of the targets NOT kill everybody. You don’t leave damaged enemy crafts/vessels to continue on to complete their mission or be salvaged. Did Adm. Tovey retire his fleet to Scapa Flow because the Bismarck was on fire and dead in the water? No, he finished her off. This whole notion that partially destroyed targets are given full quarter because of enemy wounded is preposterous. Its ANOTHER manufactured crisis invented by DemoKKKrats and their Money Daddy, Soros, and amplified through Ministry of Propaganda aka the media. Its so awful that the NYT is debunking their own lies.
Tovey didn’t finish off the Bismark. The XO scuttled the ship with explosive charges on the port side once it was no longer able to fire it’s guns and most other officers, probably including the captain, were dead. Tovey didn’t stop firing even though the ship was sinking because the Bismark didn’t (probably unable to) strike colors and there were no clear signs the crew was abandoning ship.
After the ship sank the British began rescuing survivors until German U Boats showed up. They then left with their prisoners and left the remaining sailors in the water for their comrades. Unfortunately for the crew, the U Boats didn’t have the resources for rescue operations and 90% of those that went into the water died.
I sorta kinda agree with the VP. I don’t hate turkey, but I’ve been eating it around the holidays for 50+ years, and if I never ate it again I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.
I think turkey tastes delicious. I especially enjoy a fresh turkey sandwich with a slice of tomato, salt, pepper and a little mayo.
The VP isn’t really stroking his man card with a potty mouth, he looks not so classy cursing at Marines instead. The Marines can’t say anything back so it is needless abuse. Somebody needs to explain that to him. He was never an officer and I don’t think he really understand how high up the totem pole he is.
Are you sure he wasn’t saying that with a LOL! humor?
That part wasn’t reported.
Completely apples to oranges comparison, perhaps, and I know little about laws as they pertain to the crews of destroyed boats/ships, but I think of how I was always trained when assaulting across an objective. Fire two rounds into every enemy combatant as you pass them. Reason being, you don’t want to risk leaving them behind you, and once you pass them, they’re EPWs and you’re required to provide medical care if they’re wounded.
I view survivors of an initial strike in the same light. We’re not talking uniformed members of a naval force here, but narcoterrorists. Destroy the vessel, then destroyed any remnants of that vessel to prevent salvage of the cargo. If anyone somehow survived the initial attack, ensure they don’t survive the followup. If SEALs were nearby and immediately went to the site after the boat was first hit, then put bullets in the survivors’ heads and let them sink, I might view things differently. But missiles and drones can’t do much more than destroy, so if Jacques Cousteau Escobar happens to be on that piece of wreckage that’s targeted, oh well.
As for the chow halls, it will be interesting, especially when Joe starts selling his meal card to his buddies for extra beer money. I imagine they’ll use a CAC-based system to ensure Soldiers only get their allotted meals.
In my yute, whenever we had a houseful of family, a big turkey was mom’s go-to to feed the masses. Cheap, easy, and tasty if not cooked ala Griswold.
The meals will definitely taste a little different with a drip of lube oil vs cigarette ash.
“The elite counterterror group SEAL Team 6 led the attack, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing sensitive operations.”
Interesting, because SEAL Team 6 is no longer officially known as SEAL Team 6, they’re now called DEVGRU. Seems odd that someone high enough in the food chain to have “direct knowledge of the matter” would use an unofficial slang term for the unit.
Also seems a bit…counterintuitive…to me that an elite combat unit was involved in firing a hellfire missile (or two) from a drone at a drug boat. That just doesn’t seem to be the kind of mission that you’d need DEVGRU to carry out.
“The commander overseeing the operation from Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Adm. Frank M. “Mitch” Bradley, told people on the secure conference call that the survivors were still legitimate targets because they could theoretically call other traffickers to retrieve them and their cargo, according to two people. He ordered the second strike to fulfill Hegseth’s directive that everyone must be killed.”
The article states this as fact, but how did they find out the discussion held on a secure conference call? They don’t say but my guess is the same anonymous source as the one who thinks SEAL Team 6 is still a thing and specializes in firing missiles from drones.
At this point, unless some sort of proof beyond anonymous sources is provided, I prefer to take the word of Hegseth and “Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell” who declared” “This entire narrative is completely false,”
But, just for argument’s sake, let’s say they did execute two survivors with a second missile.
So what?
According to UNCLOS Article 91. Unflagged, and therefore stateless vessels are subject to the jurisdiction of any state that encounters them on the high seas.
When our Navy “encounters” them, they are then subject to our laws, including the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, and the2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, which covers terrorist gangs.
They are essentially Pirates.
Fair game.
At least we didn’t keelhaul them, make them walk the plank or hang them from the yardarm.
Maybe we should.
This was the second comment of two. The first one went to moderation and is awaiting approval…I suppose because it was too long. Anyway, essentially it was saying that I don’t believe the Anonymous sources, but even if they’re right…
UNCLOS is a very large and unwieldy document. However; since you brought it up, Article 91 in it’s entirety:
https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf
Nothing about piracy or stateless ships. Flags are intended to give rights to ships that protect the ship through the validity of their home state. Not having a flag doesn’t mean the ship is a pirate vessel. The vessel would have to be shown to actually be engaged in piracy to be a pirate vessel. No one is alleging that, the US is instead alleging that the vessels are engaged in smuggling and that the smuggling is harming the United States. They also allege some kind of connection to terrorism, although that part is unclear.
Smuggling vessels are treated as merchant ships under international law. They are also allowed to strike colors as a ruse as they are considered non-combatants vessels. This is most often situational, such as when they are being pursued.
The second part of your argument, that they fall under US law may or may not be true. Piracy is one exception, another would be violations of US law or conflicts with US interests and impeding the rights of US citizens and trade. It seems clear that these boats are running drugs, much of which ends up in the US, causing deaths through use and abuse. Be that as it is, they may want to consider presenting evidence, not because it is required, but merely to sway opinion.
The reason that it isn’t required is because of:
The state may be held accountable but the warship and crew itself can not. The crew would have to mutiny and commit crimes before being open to prosecution at ITLOS. Whatever the ship does under flag is subject only to US laws, the flag state being the responsible party.
Another take on what is going on with the SECWAR kerfuffle:
https://x.com/KurtSchlichter/status/1995848544033317255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1995848544033317255%7Ctwgr%5E65e9a82d64b579a44e8286898c9e9e911fcf7281%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Finstapundit.com%2F759917%2F
Technically, I read that Trump’s order authorized the use of War Department as a secondary title of the Department of Defense, and the actual legal appellation is DoD, not WD. Only Congress can change the legal name.
Saw this:
See if Metallica will play for the video. I suggest “Master of Puppets” and “Dont Tread On Me”.
If not, then “Another one bites the dust” by Queen.
https://nypost.com/2025/12/03/lifestyle/army-veteran-ed-bambas-88-reveals-he-works-full-time-at-michigan-supermarket-after-losing-pension-internet-rallies-to-raise-over-1m/
Fascinating, anyone want to count the number of lies in this one?
GM declared bankruptcy in 2009, not 2012.
No pensions were lost unless they were a Delphi employee, which would have been in 2009, not 2012. But either way, since he retired in 1999 his pension would not have been touched, as existing pensions that were being paid weren’t touched.
Life insurance is a protected asset and doesn’t go the estate but goes to the named person. Michigan no longer has a Doctrine of Necessities unless they borrowed money to pay the bills and he co signed he would be in the clear, but the life insurance would be in the clear anyway.
Crazy the things people believe these days.
Veteran eh? I wonder.
Trying to make hay while the sun shines. Those that believe this to be true will never read or hear a contraction, and if they do, they won’t believe it.
Yep. These are Two Minutes Hate stories for the true believers.
How come there is no screaming when we bombed the shit ot of syria for gassing their peeps and when we went to serbia to stop the massacre of Albanians… I keep mentioning GENOCIDE which comes under the Legtimacy Doctrine for what is going on now and it appears that no one in the Military today has a fuckin clue that it was used in those countries, even the Shirtbird Navy Jags never heard of it or they did and have TDS. So far I haven’t heard anyone responding to my comment. Later Alligator.
Came across this, and it makes sense to me anyway. Pirates…RRRRR
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/12/venezuela_boat_strike_baloney.html