I honestly do not think that the Marines had live ammo. There would have been casualties from the aggressors had they been properly armed, many of them. That being said, all one has to do is look at the ROE for Iraq and Afghanistan and remember that the Military was not allowed to shoot back if the terrorist dropped his weapon, could not carry their weapon locked and loaded and some reported that shooting in the direction of civilians was also banned. So know you decide what you think.
http://janmorganmedia.com/2012/09/marines-unarmed-yet-expected-to-protect-by-barry-kaplan/
To post a Marine in a hostile country in front of an embassy and charge him to protect and defend it from enemies, yet not allow him to have live ammo for his weapon is the ultimate in hypocrisy. He might as well pull a feather out of his pocket to fight off aggressors. Some sources in the military are saying our Marines charged with defending the Embassy in Egypt were not allowed to have live ammo in their rifles. Others sources today are saying otherwise. Still searching for truth here. Why would any Marines put out info about not being allowed live ammo if it was not true. It is more difficult to believe that Marines well armed with live ammo would have allowed the walls of our Embassy to be breached.
Pentagon spokesman George Little told Time magazine Thursday: “With or without a weapon, Marines are always armed…I’ve heard nothing to suggest they don’t have ammunition.”
Additionally, per Time, the Marine Corps said in a statement late Thursday that any reports “of Marines not being able to have their weapons loaded per direction from the ambassador are not accurate.”
US Marines often face the awkward position of being placed in situations where they’re outnumbered, and tasked with the responsibility of protecting people and property from opposing aggressors who want to kill and/or destroy them and theirs.
That’s OK, because that’s just how Marines roll, it’s what they signed up for. And they’re great at what they do, because they’re highly trained and equipped to handle whatever the enemy wants to throw at them.
EQUIPPED IS THE KEY WORD HERE. Original reports were that our Marines charged with guarding the embassy WERE NOT EQUIPPED. Reportedly Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson “did not permit U.S. Marine guards to carry live ammunition,” according to multiple reports on U.S. Marine Corps blogs spotted by Nightwatch. “She neutralized any U.S. military capability that was dedicated to preserve her life and protect the US Embassy.”
As you already know, on the 11th anniversary of 9/11, Islamic radicals breached the walls of the US Embassy in Egypt, tore down our flag, destroyed it and replaced it with some black thing of their own. As the story has progressed, it truly disgusted me to read this article – http://freebeacon.com/reports-marines-not-permitted-live-ammo/.
Is it a stupid question to ask how in God’s name is it possible for the Marines to protect the lives of others, (not to mention their own) if THEY’RE BASICALLY UNARMED? I think not.
If they’re unarmed, what are they even there for, window dressing?
What kind of brain pattern does someone in a position of power have to think it’s acceptable to tie the hands of those who are actually tasked with protecting others? Oh wait, I read that she was in D.C. at the time, so at least SHE was safe from wall breaching Islamic radicals. If this story is true, the “ambassador” should be held fully responsible for the damage the embassy suffered. These “peaceful protests” are now spreading to US embassies in other countries, and four Americans have been brutally murdered in Libya. I pray that more active brains are calling the shots in these other countries.
This is political correctness gone mad. This is a socially moronic mindset that exists in some altered form of reality.
It is as if Ann Patterson said to the Marines charged with protecting the embassy and its staff, “we will let you look like you are protecting us but its an illusion and if something happens, you are screwed but not me… I will be in DC.”
**UPDATE**
Further Marine spokesman at Pentagon Lt Col Chris Hughes says these reports are NOT true. This is on the record:
“The Ambassador and RSO have been completely and appropriately engaged with the security situation. No restrictions on weapons or weapons status have been imposed. This information comes from the Det Commander at AMEMB Cairo.”
(Barry Kaplan was a Marine Sgt. having served from 1981 to 85. He is a Brooklyn born jewish republican who has owned his own insurance agency for 25 years. I asked him to share his take on this position of posting our Marines as guards without live ammo. )
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