Comments by "Colonel K" (@Paladin1873) on "The Yemen Civil War: Iran and Saudi Arabia's Proxy Battle" video.

  1. I was working at CENTCOM when the USS Cole was attacked. For quite some time prior to that event the nation of Yemen had been declared a terrorist haven, but the US State Department had softened its stance on the country. Even so, I was surprised when I read a message in 1998 or 1999 that stated US Navy vessels would begin making port calls for refueling. At the time I asked one of our Navy staff if he considered this a wise decision, given that nation's past record. He shook his head, shrugged, and pointed upstairs. Like all important matters, these decisions were made well above our pay grades by people who were looking at the "big picture". That picture did not seem to include a proper risk assessment, nor did it incorporate lessons learned from the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon or the 1996 bombing of the USAF barracks in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, when the Cole arrived in port, her gun crews were held to absurdly strict rules of engagement which prevented any proactive defense of the ship. The rest is history. When I think of all the avoidable tragedies that occurred during my 30 years of service, the biggest takeaway has been how often complacency kills (and how few are ever held accountable for it).
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  2.  @dimassalazar906  That is sometimes true, but not always true. I've served with some very conscientious and capable leaders. I've also served with yes-men, brown-nosers, and incompetents. It's a mixed bag.
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