US admits killing Egyptian with Suez Canal warning shots

[dleffert]

I think identification banners are a great idea - everybody should do it. Terrorists first.....

Seriously, the loss of life is regrettable, but by all accounts they were warned repeatedly and everyone else in their vicinity heard, understood and complied. I can't imagine their actions being interpreted any other way but hostile.

 

[redacted]

It's not faith. It's statistics. With all the terrorist attacks that happened in the world, especially in Egypt, how many took place in the Suez Canal?

What effect do you think a serious terrorist attack on the Suez Canal would have on the wealthy financiers of Al Qaeda?

Old saying: "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

 

[Clammy]

It's not faith. It's statistics. With all the terrorist attacks that happened in the world, especially in Egypt, how many took place in the Suez Canal?

That's an asinine argument. Out of all the planes that take off and land in the world, how many were actually taken by terrorist? Statistically it's one of the safest things you can bet on (that you're safe). I guess we should forgo security altogether. Prior to 9/11 in the U.S., how many jetliners crashed into sky rise buildings over New York? Just because something hasn't happened or rarely happens, doesn't mean that we shouldn't have precautions against it or be prepared to react against it. In many cases, it's those very precautions that prevent or deter things from happening in the first place.

BTW, it IS faith. You made a statement regarding your belief in the ability of your coast guard to unequivocally stop bad guys. If your faith is rooted in statistics or how often they actually do get the bad guy, that's a different thing.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

There have been no terrorist attacks on my house, either. I guess I must have some highly effective security protocols, huh?

Your house is not targeted, yet!

Egypt has been targeted from around 15 years or more with several attacks in Cairo, Luxor, Sharm, Dahab, Taba, etc... Do you think that, if arranging an attack in Suez Canal, which is a bottleneck in the route of the USN, is that easy, would anyone miss such opportunity?

 

[SteveAD]

There are more targets in the world than the jihadists have resources to attack. Just because an attack hasn't happened at a particular target doesn't mean it is not being analyzed.

Who can say for sure that this incident wasn't a recon mission. If the small craft was able to get close enough to the global patriot to launch an attack, then they put together an actual attack. If the security on the ship "over reacts" and kills an "innocent civilian" then US forces get bad press and maybe get ordered into more restrictive rules of engagement.

 

[ReefHound]

Your house is not targeted, yet!

Egypt has been targeted from around 15 years or more with several attacks in Cairo, Luxor, Sharm, Dahab, Taba, etc... Do you think that, if arranging an attack in Suez Canal, which is a bottleneck in the route of the USN, is that easy, would anyone miss such opportunity?

Ok then, the Houston airport has never been attacked, the Exxon Baytown refinery has never been attacked, many other places have never been attacked. You think these aren't desirable targets? When something hasn't been attacked we can not really know if it's because a) security is so successful, or b) it is not a desired target.

Who can really say besides the terrorists why they pick specific targets. Sometimes because they are symbolic, sometimes because they are strategic, sometimes because they are vulnerable. Sometimes there are targets that appear to meet all those criteria yet are left alone for some reason. Who knows why?

The fact that Sharm or Cairo has been successfully hit doesn't mean they want to also hit the Suez Canal but can't. Can you document where this ever present and all powerful canal security has thwarted attempted attacks?

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

ReefHound,
Those examples you mentioned are not comparable to Suez Canal. There're lots of airports and refineries, but only one canal serving 7% (as far as I remember) of the world's sea transportation.

 

[redacted]

ReefHound,
Those examples you mentioned are not comparable to Suez Canal. There're lots of airports and refineries, but only one canal serving 7% (as far as I remember) of the world's sea transportation.

Simple answer: The terrorists do not want to attack those resources that help fund them.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

That's an asinine argument.

Now that's beyond politeness.

Out of all the planes that take off and land in the world, how many were actually taken by terrorist? Statistically it's one of the safest things you can bet on (that you're safe).

Of course not. There have been several attacks on planes in different disciplines and in different places in the world for different reasons. However, there's no such incident in the Suez Canal for more than 30 years now.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Simple answer: The terrorists do not want to attack those resources that help fund them.

I'm not sure how the canal is going to help them but let's go that way. If they're not going to attack the canal (for any reason whatsoever), then it the canal is safe. Then raising an identification banner is not dangerous.