View Full Version : Marines surrender weapons?
...in Yemen before exfil on State Dept. orders.
I hope this is a bullshit story.
Lighthouse
02-11-2015, 20:16
military.com just posted an article about it. No source so far though...
But I'm with you on hoping this is BS cause man would this make us (U.S.) look like a joke to the world. Or more of a joke while under Baraq
Where is Mad Dog when we need him????
Golf1echo
02-11-2015, 21:03
They did it before once, maybe this is the redux ? If the bad guys get their hands on the new formula...well someone's doomed! :D
Could not find the image departing the ramp...
OK, so maybe the Marines didn't "surrender" their weapons,,
But why didn't they just take their gear home??
Was the exfil a complete rout??
UPDATE: Marine Corps Says Crew Served Weapons Destroyed at Embassy
UPDATE, 9:57p ET: The Marine Corps has clarified what Marines did under State Department orders in Yemen following the evacuation of the U.S. embassy.
Crew served weapons were destroyed at the embassy, while Marines’ personal weapons were “rendered inoperable” at the airport, and their destroyed components were left behind.
The Marine Corps does not dispute the reporting that CENTCOM is outraged over weapons being rendered inoperable.
http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/02/11/rpt-marines-ordered-turn-over-weapons-during-yemen-evacuation
Confused?? :munchin
Just shaking my head - and I'm placing no blame to the Marines.
Streck-Fu
02-12-2015, 06:28
An official statement from the Marines states that the crew served weapons were destroyed at the embassy before leaving and that personal weapons were destroyed at the airport before boarding flight.
They emphasize that no weapons that are or could be made operational were left behind or turned over to any one.
LINK (http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2015/02/11/no-marine-weapons-left-yemen-embassy-evacuation/23250263/)
The Marine security detachment guarding the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen left no operational weapons behind as troops evacuated the country, a senior Marine official with knowledge of the movement told Marine Corps Times.
Officials with the Sanaa airport told the Associated Press earlier today that Houthi rebels seized more than 25 official U.S. vehicles in the wake of the hasty departure of embassy staff, some with personal weapons left inside.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters that the embassy's Marine security guard detachment destroyed larger weapons, including machine guns, and added that he believed they had turned over personal weapons to Yemeni officials because they could not take them on commercial flights.
But the Marine official, who asked that he not be identified because he was unauthorized to discuss the situation, said no working Marine weapons, whether crew-served or personal rifles and sidearms, were seized or handed over as the troops departed.
"No Marines handed over a functional weapon to anybody," the official said.
Snaquebite
02-12-2015, 06:34
Word is that it was ordered by someone in the State Department. MCESG is considered OPCON to DSS.
blue02hd
02-12-2015, 07:20
If you are relying on a commercial flight for part of your exfil route, you truly are left out there hanging.
U.S. Marines Handed Over Their Guns Before Leaving Yemen
Reuters, 11 Feb 2015
U.S. Marines handed over their remaining weapons to Yemenis at the airport in the capital, Sanaa, on Wednesday before boarding commercial aircraft to leave the country following the closure of the U.S. embassy, the Pentagon said.
The Pentagon said the Marines destroyed heavy weapons in their embassy arsenal, including machine guns, before leaving for the airport but remained armed with smaller weapons until the end to ensure a safe exit from the country.
"The movement from the embassy to the aircraft required armed Marines," Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said at a briefing.
The U.S. embassy closure and the evacuation of embassy personnel came after the Houthi militia group - which overran Sanaa in September - formally took power last week. The Shi'ite Muslim group is stridently anti-American and is backed by Iran.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, estimated that about 100 Marines made up the embassy contingent that left the country.
Asked whether the Marines turned over their weapons to Houthi fighters, Warren said: "It's unclear, frankly. We believe they turned them over to government officials at the airport, prior to boarding the aircraft."
"As everyone knows, weapons are generally not authorized on commercial aircraft," Warren said. He said the Marines were probably carrying handguns and assault rifles until their departure.
Yemen, which borders oil giant Saudi Arabia, had long been at the forefront of the U.S.-led war against al Qaeda. But the long-standing diplomatic alliance between Washington and Sanaa appears to have been suspended with the United States.
France and Britain also closed their embassies on Wednesday due to security fears.
Despite the closure of the U.S. embassy, some American military personnel remain in the country conducting training operations with Yemeni military forces and "retain the capability to conduct counterterrorism operations if required," Warren said.
Still, U.S. officials have privately acknowledged that the political upheaval has undermined their counterterrorism effort, including the collection of intelligence.
http://news.yahoo.com/us-marines-handed-over-guns-leaving-yemen-204547431.html;_ylt=AwrTceMMqNxUUkIAsYgPxQt.;_ylu= X3oDMTEzY3Nia2wzBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dG lkA1lIUzAwMl8x
Streck-Fu
02-12-2015, 07:23
I would really like to know WTF prompted this.....
LINK (http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/02/12/marines-destroyed-all-weapons-in-yemen-evacuation.html)
However, Pentagon officials said that several Embassy vehicles were left behind in the evacuation. At a White House press briefing, Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that the evacuation took place in a "delicate situation" and that the Yemenis were responsible for maintaining any equipment left behind.
"I certainly would use this opportunity to reiterate the responsibility that the Yemeni government and that the Houthi rebels have in ensuring the protection of diplomatic property and other equipment that was left behind," Earnest said.
The Embassy Marines and the diplomatic personnel left the Sanaa airport on a civilian flight to the neighboring country of Oman.
I guess they didn't have any footlockers.
Get to the airport, go into the bathroom, put the weapons in a footlocker and slap an embassy seal on it.
But I would guess that idea was rejected by the DoS.
Might not have been an American "flag carrier" out of there and who knows where they were going from Yemen.
I officially 'carried' on several trips from NC to the RPI and back in the early 80's - had to us a "flag" carrier only, though. The fun part was checking in through airport security opns with a carry on case they couldn't open to inspect and avoiding the lines.
I'm a bit surprised they didn't have a "flag" carrier charter, though, for the 100 or so Marines and other embassy staff leaving - must be a budget issue because of those darn ol' Yarborough knives. :rolleyes:
Richard
If this weapons issue happened in the 90's during a "peace time footing" of our military I could understand this a little easier. I would still have a problem with it but I could understand it. This country (the military anyway) is at war. Who exactly do you think these guys attacking and overthrowing the Yemen government are??? They are not democracy seeking freedom loving Arab spring types (not that they ever existed). These guys attempting to seize Yemen are the guys we want to target and they are all bunched up....another course of action may have proved more effective. A COA which included gunships, Marine Infantry "rescue" force and a whole lot of ammo. We then exfil on our terms...not theirs.
...lay down your arms men, we're retreating
The Reaper
02-12-2015, 09:11
If this weapons issue happened in the 90's during a "peace time footing" of our military I could understand this a little easier. I would still have a problem with it but I could understand it. This country (the military anyway) is at war. Who exactly do you think these guys attacking and overthrowing the Yemen government are??? They are not democracy seeking freedom loving Arab spring types (not that they ever existed). These guys attempting to seize Yemen are the guys we want to target and they are all bunched up....another course of action may have proved more effective. A COA which included gunships, Marine Infantry "rescue" force and a whole lot of ammo. We then exfil on our terms...not theirs.
Not the Marines' or DoD's call.
State decides how.
TR
Not the Marines' or DoD's call.
State decides how.
TR
I realize this but it boggles the mind.
Guymullins
02-12-2015, 10:03
We have seen worse.
If you are relying on a commercial flight for part of your exfil route, you truly are left out there hanging.
Here's how it's done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyxBxmBjC0U&t=1m20s ;)
Pat
Team Sergeant
02-12-2015, 12:47
military.com just posted an article about it. No source so far though...
But I'm with you on hoping this is BS cause man would this make us (U.S.) look like a joke to the world. Or more of a joke while under Baraq
Surely you jest......
If the Squatter in the White House conferring with al sharpton is not a joke I don't know what is........
We are a joke.
The world only respects our military and our military is made up of primarily non-liberals.
Apparently, not all that is seen is as it appears.
Take it for what it's worth ....
Marines provide new details about Yemen evacuation
Marine embassy security guards smashed personal weapons with sledgehammers and scattered them before departing Yemen as the U.S. Embassy was being evacuated this week, officials with Marine Corps Headquarters said.
The officials offered new details of the Marines' departure in the wake of differing reports about what had become of personal weapons the troops had to leave behind before departing the country via the airport at Sanaa. A Pentagon spokesman told reporters Wednesday that Marines handed over the weapons to Yemeni officials before boarding commercial aircraft for departure, while staff with the Sanaa airport told the Associated Press that Houthi rebels had seized U.S. Embassy vehicles, some with weapons inside.
A Marine official with knowledge of the movement told Marine Corps Times on Wednesday that all personal and crew-served weapons had been rendered inoperable, but could not address how they had been made so or how they were disposed of before the Marines departed.
"To be clear: No Marine handed a weapon to a Houthi, or had one taken from him," Marine officials said late Wednesday in a statement.
Crew-served weapons, officials said, were destroyed at the embassy before the Marines departed in accordance with an approved destruction plan.
The Marine embassy detachment then proceeded to the airfield at Sanaa with just their personal weapons.
"Upon arrival at the airfield, all personal weapons were rendered inoperable in accordance with advance planning," officials said in the statement. "Specifically, each bolt was removed from its weapons body and rendered inoperable by smashing with sledgehammers. The weapons bodies, minus the bolts, were then separately smashed with sledgehammers. All of these destroyed components were left at the airport — and components were scattered; no usable weapon was taken from any Marine at Sanaa airport."
The Marines' departure came as the U.S. Embassy closed because of increased instability in Yemen amid takeover by the Shiite Houthi rebels.
Few details so far have been released regarding the choice of evacuation plan for Marines and U.S. Embassy personnel. A detachment of about 100 security Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Central Command also departed the country as the embassy closed.
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2015/02/12/marines-new-details-yemen-evacuation/23281977/
Good.
Knew there was more to the story.
I feel for the Marines that had to go thru this bullshit.
Jacque Kerry should be drawn and quartered at a county fair.
mojaveman
02-12-2015, 18:03
How about a little Thermite instead? :D
The Reaper
02-12-2015, 18:43
These are not "personal weapons," they are individual weapons.
There is a difference.
TR
Lighthouse
02-12-2015, 23:05
Surely you jest......
If the Squatter in the White House conferring with al sharpton is not a joke I don't know what is........
We are a joke.
The world only respects our military and our military is made up of primarily non-liberals.
All a concerned citizen can do now is hope the leash is taken off the dogs of war soon and the lawyers are never in the battle space.
Guymullins
02-13-2015, 04:43
"Upon arrival at the airfield, all personal weapons were rendered inoperable in accordance with advance planning," officials said in the statement. "Specifically, each bolt was removed from its weapons body and rendered inoperable by smashing with sledgehammers. The weapons bodies, minus the bolts, were then separately smashed with sledgehammers. All of these destroyed components were left at the airport — and components were scattered; no usable weapon was taken from any Marine at Sanaa airport."
I hope these were not Glocks. I am told that the treatment above is the initial quality test before the real tests are used weed out the sub-standard guns.
"
I hope these were not Glocks. I am told that the treatment above is the initial quality test before the real tests are used weed out the sub-standard guns.
The Glock is not a standard firearm outside of the SOF side of the military. If they had sidearms they would be the Beretta M9. Since it's a metal frame, it would be pretty easy to render inoperable.
NurseTim
02-13-2015, 18:27
All a concerned citizen can do now is hope the leash is taken off the dogs of war soon and the lawyers are never in the battle space.
I disagree. Let the lawyers lead the charge in a two way range. Actually patrol, like the LA agency that put the "community organizers" through use of force training. I bet you'll see ROI change drastically.
I disagree. Let the lawyers lead the charge in a two way range. Actually patrol, like the LA agency that put the "community organizers" through use of force training. I bet you'll see ROI change drastically.
Yup - having them get shot at tends to change their thought-process. Any good CDR will have his lawyers go out on patrol with the troops for a bit. In fact - the State Bar mandates that "lawyers utilize due diligence in getting to know their clients and their clients business". Too few lawyers "get this" and the legal leadership fails to enforce this as THEY don't want to go out on patrol.