Monday 11 February 2013

Doesn't Anyone Remember Pearl Harbor?





This photo of at least six aircraft carriers was used to illustrate a February 10 Washington Times column by Rowen Scarborough, but what I would like to know is whether any of the admirals in the U.S. Navy have ever heard of Pearl Harbor? On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire attacked our fleet that was moored there and destroyed many of them.

On Oct. 12, 2000, the USS Cole was attacked by suicide bombers in a small boat while in Yemani waters, blowing a big hole in its side, killing 17 sailors and injuring 39 others.

At what point does the Navy learn something, anything from the past? If the photo above isn't an invitation for an attack, I do not know what is. One hopes they are defended by the Coast Guard or other naval vessels, but this just looks like the biggest bunch of sitting ducks I have seen in a long time.

If I am thinking that, so is al Qaeda.

7 comments:

Roger J said...

NO carriers were sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbour. A miracle saw them at sea. When Yamamoto heard this, he knew the Jap gamble at Pearl Harbour was all for nothing.

Sigivald said...

What exactly is Al Quaeda going to do to them?

(It takes more than motive - it takes opportunity. Means, specifically.)

If they have a nuke, which is what it'd take when you're not the Japanese Imperial Navy with an entire attack group, that's not going to be their target.

They'd hit something that would cause, well, terror.

Like New York City, or Los Angeles, or DC.

They keep not doing that, so we can pretty well assume they don't have a nuke or a way to deliver one.

Bill said...

In answering a student's question as to why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, an American teacher explained that it was revenge for the U.S. had done to Hiroshima.

With that as academic background it's a marvel that anyone under age 65 in the US knows anything about Pearl Harbor at all. Dare we presume that the event is still studied at the United States Naval Academy?

Anonymous said...

Actually, 6 airliners loaded with explosives on a suicide run could do a pretty good job on those carriers - likely reducing US sea power by half or more at one shot for at least a year. From the look, I doubt their air defenses are activated and it's unlikely there are any shore based ones either.

Ken Mitchell said...

Actionable intelligence depends on TIMELINESS; the photo of the bird farms in port wasn't disseminated in real time. And the hulls of aircraft carriers aren't particularly battle-ready; it's the air groups at Oceana that give a carrier its teeth and reach.

On the other hand, the SecDef's statements that the sequester threat will keep ships in port IS actionable intelligence. One _hopes_ that the Coast Guard will maintain a watch on merchant vessels entering Norfolk to prevent a nuclear-armed Q-ship from sneaking in.

Toejam said...

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

Alan Caruba said...

I have since been told that heavy security surrounds the ships in port at Newport, VA. I am glad to hear that.