Backup plan for Olympics in Sochi
While the Russians are busy looking for Ruzana Ibragimova, the “White Widow” who is suspected to be at the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the US Navy is cruising the area as a prudent measure if they need to un-ass the AO says the Stars & Stripes;
“Air and naval assets, to include two Navy ships in the Black Sea, will be available if requested for all manner of contingencies in support of — and in consultation with — the Russian government,” Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement.
U.S. commanders in the region are conducting “prudent planning and preparations” if that support is required, Kirby said.
Concerns about security threats during the Olympics have grow in the wake of the deadly Dec. 29 explosion by a suspected suicide bomber in the southern Russian city of Volgograd. The bombing was followed a day later by an alleged suicide attack in the same city on a trolleybus.
In addition to ships forward-positioned in the Black Sea, the U.S. military maintains numerous military assets in the region that could assist in any evacuation of U.S. athletes, such as C-17s at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, special operations units based out of Stuttgart, Germany, and crisis-response U.S. Marines out of Spain.
While I’m glad that there are military assets in place, because the US military’s main function is protection of US citizens, that’s an awful lot of money to spend on a sporting event.
Category: Military issues
Hmmmm. Apparently the Olympics is a much higher priority than an American diplomatic mission in Libya.
So it would seem, MAJMike.
Well, maybe the pussypants peeps in the WH finally figured out that another ‘US Citizens Killed by Terrorists’ headline would be a bad thing. A bad, bad thing. Bad for their ‘image’, whatever that is.
Could the current Administration finally be engaging in a bit of rectacranial extraction?
Correction:
Samantha Lewthwaite is the “White Widow” and she’s running around in Africa somewhere.
Ruzana Ibragimova is called the “Black Widow”.
Imagine the phone call:
Hello, Kremlin. Tovarisch Putin here.
Hi this is Admiral Smith from the US Navy.
Da tovarisch Admiral! How can the Russian Republic help the US navy?
Our guys want to do a little water skiing in the Black Sea. They had this crazy idea to do it behind a frigate and a guided missile cruiser. We were thinking that while we don’t have to call, it would be polite and neighborly.
Hmmm …
By the way they are a little nervous about those Islamic Terrorists over on the east side, you know, over near Sochi? So they wanted to bring a little air cover too.
Oh sure! That would be great! Come on in, the water is fine!
Thanks! Das vitanya tovarisch Putin. Have a nice day.
Or something …
I’m surprised that Russia has no problem with The US Navy cruising the Black Sea. I had always thought that with the Russian Black Sea Fleet they were quite territorial on that.
@7-Aye, but what they can do about it is another question. The Black Sea is a big area of water, and vitriolic claims to the contrary, they can only deny access to those with the territorial limit, same as anywhere else in the world. They might protest in the papers, but it only becomes a real problem if we try to intervene militarily if the Chechnians, say, take over the dorms like at Munich by sending in DEVGRU or Delta.
Of course, Obama would never do such a thing, so everything in that department will be good…or something.
Normally, I could say it is tin foilhat time, but not this time. Heh, Putin is not a fool, I am willing to bet he has a reason for allowing the USN in the Black Sea beyond “in case” they are needed to evac US citizens. Let the dogpiling begin. 😎
I’m thinking Mr. Putin is missing a money-making opportunity: terrorist hunting permits. How the hell else is Russia going to break even on this sh!tshow? And why should the secret squirrels have all the fun?