Over a 10-day span, the US failed to rescue hostage US journalist Luke Somers, leading Yemen’s al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to threaten to execute him if a ransom wasn’t paid by weeks end, then botched a second raid which got Somers and a South African teacher both killed.
Yet not only is the administration not apologizing for their failures in the raid, they’re denying that any failures happened at all. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel insisted that there was “no need” to review the policy at all, insisting it was “as thorough as can be.”
The death of Somers in the second botched raid led to criticism from his family, and the death of the South African in the raid was a huge deal, as AQAP had already agreed to release him the following morning.
The US shrugged this off too, insisting they didn’t know the South African was about to be released, and speculating that his release might not’ve gone smoothly if the US hadn’t gotten him killed.
That's the beauty of it. America can't do no wrong.
Empire days of wine and roses — Not up for negotiation
Without violence our Empire would instantly disintegrate. For brutal imperialism being our stock in trade, we exist only by virtue of violence, are able to plunder by superior violence, expand by our wars of aggression and violence and keep our working-class in submission by the terrorizing effect of violence.
And this is why our Empire cannot negotiate about anything, not with Iran about sanctions, not with terrorists about any kind of truce that would reduce the violence and above all things, not with protesters who demand an end to violence.
For when our Empire takes a position and issues an ultimatum, any capitulation would be tantamount to cowardice in the line of duty and a forfeiture of all glory.