# No talk about Trump's bungled adventure in Yemen? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 3, 2017, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896 "2017-02-03T12:42:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/1 "2017-02-03T12:42:21Z")
[The military is already leaking details of Trump’s Yemen raid](https://www.axios.com/military-officials-blast-trumps-yemen-raid-2233167648.html) [Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-commando-idUSKBN15G5RX) > [@](#): > > U.S. Navy SEAL William “Ryan” Owens was killed (and two others injured) in the raid on a branch of al Qaeda, also known as AQAP, in al Bayda province, which the Pentagon said also killed 14 militants. However, medics at the scene said about 30 people, including 10 women and children, were killed. > [@](#): > > It includes some shocking claims from anonymous U.S. military officials: > > - Trump approved the raid without proper intelligence, ground support, or contingency plans. > - The intelligence lapses caused the SEAL team to drop into a reinforced compound with a larger group of Al Qaeda soldiers than expected. > - The “brutal firefight” that killed Owens also resulted in the deaths of 15 women and children, including an 8-year old girl. > > Why it matters: A leak like this is highly unusual in the military community — and especially shocking when it comes just 12 days into a new presidency. It raises questions about Trump’s standing among his military leaders, as these officials have now thrown their commander-in-chief under the bus. Trump, Bannon, Flynn and Kushner decided on this over dinner. Let’s see, two real estate guys, one with reality TV experience, a guy six months out from his job at a sketchy fake news organization and an ex-general, who apparently believed and passed on fake news last year and has a rabid dislike of Muslims. Further **TRUMP WAS NOT IN THE SITUATION ROOM** during the operation. Clown car. Let’s have 17 investigations. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/2 "2017-02-03T13:43:58Z")
?? Benghazigate was a premeditated murder by the Wicked Witch of Whitewater herself. The Yemen operation, OTOH, was a “tremendous success” — we know because our Commander-in-Chief told us so. I think we need another investigation into the Massacre at Benghazi. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/3 "2017-02-03T14:15:22Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I think we need another investigation into the Massacre at Benghazi. And then one into the Massacre at Bowling Green. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/4 "2017-02-03T14:17:47Z")
I hate to defend the man, but why should he have been in the Situation Room? Osama was a big deal, I can see why everyone wanted in on that (plus we were in a foreign country with absolutely no permission), but I’m guessing these kinds of raids are, if not common, not unusual, and the president shouldn’t have to babysit each one. And of course, anytime there is a military operation, there is a chance that one of our people is going to die. No comment intended as to whether he should have approved the raid - but any president is going to have to trust his military advisors on something like this. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/5 "2017-02-03T14:24:55Z")
Not Trump. Didn’t you hear? He knows more than the Generals. ---
**Author:** ![UberArchetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/2bfe46/32.png) [@UberArchetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UberArchetype)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/6 "2017-02-03T14:32:36Z")
That operation has been in the works for months. Exactly what makes it “Trumps” bungled adventure? ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/7 "2017-02-03T14:54:59Z")
> [@UberArchetype](#): > > That operation has been in the works for months. Exactly what makes it “Trumps” bungled adventure? And specifically not approved by Obama since he knew more intelligence was needed. In fact, the new administration went off half cocked on this. As his first military adventure, the military genius, Lord Dampnut, should have been in the situation room. When you put good people into harm’s way, own it. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/8 "2017-02-03T14:56:42Z")
> [@UberArchetype](#): > > That operation has been in the works for months. Exactly what makes it “Trumps” bungled adventure? Obama refused to authorize it because the intelligence wasn’t good enough. Trump authorized it in spite of the intelligence not being good enough. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/9 "2017-02-03T15:09:35Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Obama refused to authorize it because the intelligence wasn’t good enough. Trump authorized it in spite of the intelligence not being good enough. Where are you seeing that? From the OP’s link: > [@](#): > > The U.S. officials said the extremists’ base had been identified as a target before the Obama administration left office on Jan. 20, but then-President Barack Obama held off approving a raid ahead of his departure. > > A White House official said the operation was thoroughly vetted by the previous administration and that the previous defense secretary had signed off on it in January. The raid was delayed for operational reasons, the White House official said. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/10 "2017-02-03T15:14:13Z")
So even when the Commander in Chief, the guy who (theoretically) has a plaque on his desk that says “the buck stops here”, he’s by golly in charge and the smartest man in the room, and making the decisions, messes up, it’s STILL Obama’s fault? Amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/11 "2017-02-03T15:25:28Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > [The military is already leaking details of Trump’s Yemen raid](https://www.axios.com/military-officials-blast-trumps-yemen-raid-2233167648.html) > > [Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-commando-idUSKBN15G5RX) > > Trump, Bannon, Flynn and Kushner decided on this over dinner. Let’s see, two real estate guys, one with reality TV experience, a guy six months out from his job at a sketchy fake news organization and an ex-general, who apparently believed and passed on fake news last year and has a rabid dislike of Muslims. > > Further > > **TRUMP WAS NOT IN THE SITUATION ROOM** during the operation. > > Clown car. > > Let’s have 17 investigations. _Yawn_ Wake me up when Trump makes a blunder comparable to the Bay of Pigs. Oh, wait – didn’t the nation survive that, even though it was a genuine fiasco? That’s right, we did. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/12 "2017-02-03T15:29:10Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > And specifically not approved by Obama since he knew more intelligence was needed. In fact, the new administration went off half cocked on this. > > As his first military adventure, the military genius, Lord Dampnut, should have been in the situation room. When you put good people into harm’s way, own it. Unless Trump literally commanded them to go when they were unprepared, over their strenuous objections of unpreparedness, I fail to see how ANY President is any more than nominally responsible for what amount to mistakes and bungling by military officers, likely under the rank of Rear Admiral (since they were SEALs). It’s like blaming the failure of Operation Eagle Claw on Jimmy Carter. Yes, he approved it and ordered it, but had no actual hand in the operational planning or execution, which the stage of the operation where the 8 US servicemen were killed. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/13 "2017-02-03T15:32:34Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > _Yawn_ > > Wake me up when Trump makes a blunder comparable to the Bay of Pigs. > > Oh, wait – didn’t the nation survive that, even though it was a genuine fiasco? > > That’s right, we did. So you had to go back 53 years to find something? It’s so _cute_ that you think it’s relevant. _pats **Flyer** on the head_ ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/14 "2017-02-03T15:42:42Z")
Weaksauce. When future historians make a list of Trump’s biggest failures as President, this event won’t even make the Top 1,000. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/15 "2017-02-03T15:43:06Z")
> **[Civilians likely killed in Trump's first raid in Yemen, says US military](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/02/civilians-likely-killed-trumps-first-raid-yemen-says-us-military/)** > > A deadly dawn raid on the al-Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday "likely killed" civilians and could include children, the US military said on Wednesday. > [@](#): > > The US officials said the extremists’ base had been identified as a target before the Obama administration left office on January 20, but then-President Barack Obama held off approving a raid, in part because officials said they were not certain the available intelligence was sufficiently reliable. Also, on-the-ground surveillance of the compound was “minimal, at best,” one of the officials said. > > “The decision was made not to make a go decision, but to leave it to the incoming administration, partly in the hope that more and better intelligence could be collected,” that official said. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/16 "2017-02-03T15:59:17Z")
> [@bump](#): > > It’s like blaming the failure of Operation Eagle Claw on Jimmy Carter. Yes, he approved it and ordered it, but had no actual hand in the operational planning or execution, which the stage of the operation where the 8 US servicemen were killed. Carter [took responsibility](http://millercenter.org/president/carter/speeches/speech-3936) for the mission failure. I don’t expect this President to ever accept blame for anything. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/17 "2017-02-03T16:01:33Z")
_Don’s a fool, yessiree He won’t live to be 73 Pick a better nominee 'Cause Don’s a fool_ – Yemeni Cricket ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/18 "2017-02-03T16:04:32Z")
Until we see evidence that Trump approved the raid _over_ reservations by CENTCOM or other military advisors, I don’t see this as a big deal. Like Obama and everyone else who’s served as C-in-C, he’s only going to be as good as the advice he gets. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/19 "2017-02-03T16:07:18Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > So even when the Commander in Chief, the guy who (theoretically) has a plaque on his desk that says “the buck stops here”, he’s by golly in charge and the smartest man in the room, and making the decisions, messes up, it’s STILL Obama’s fault? > > Amazing. Yeah, what could go wrong when you stick your son-in-law **and** Bannon on a committee led by an orange ape, and ask the committee to make life and death decisions authorizing military raids. What the fuck could possibly go wrong? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2017, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896/20 "2017-02-03T16:08:47Z")
And the advice he gets will only be as good as the people he surrounds himself with. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-talk-about-trumps-bungled-adventure-in-yemen/778896.md?page=2)