This must not be another USS Cole nonresponse.
It doesn't matter that the attack failed. The enemy tried to kill us and we must respond militarily. Against who? Well start with those who claim that they did it:
A group linked to al-Qaida claimed responsibility in an Internet statement. The statement purportedly from the Abdullah Azzam Brigades could not immediately be verified.
So if somebody wants to claim they did this in al Qaeda's name, nail al Qaeda. We are already killing jihadis in Iraq and Afghanistan. We round them up and help allies do the same around the world. Except in Iran, of course, where al Qaeda fled as we destroyed the Taliban regime and where the terrorists have enjoyed the hospitality of the demented and quite dangerous mullahs of Tehran.
If we don't know where we should lob some good fuel-air MOABs inside Iran to kill off some of the terrorists who think they are safe from our reach, then I will be pretty upset with our intelligence capabilities. And I'll question our resolve to fight.
Strike the enemy in Iran. Hard and soon. I nice brief but thorough missile and air campaign against al Qaeda and any associated Revolutionary Guard facilities. I dare the Iranians to defend the SOBs they've given sanctuary.
As an aside, I guess we don't turn on the point defense Phalanx systems while in port. Perhaps the radar only works at sea away from ground clutter. Perhaps we should work on that under the circumstances.
