President Joe Biden has yet to give a statement on the Navy SEALs who went missing on Jan. 11 while intercepting a vessel carrying Iranian weapons heading toward Somalia.
Two Navy Sailors who were conducting operations off the coast of Somalia went missing on the evening of Jan. 11. It was then revealed on Jan. 13 that the sailors were Navy SEALs who were attempting to board a boat from a small special operations combat craft when one got knocked by high waves into the water, causing the other SEAL to dive in after him. (RELATED: ‘All For A Political Agenda’: Vets Blast White House For Bragging About Biden’s Visits To War Zones)
As of Thursday morning, Biden has not addressed the missing SEALs or the ongoing search and rescue efforts to find the individuals. Since it was reported that the sailors were Navy SEALs, Biden has made one public appearance to volunteer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“We and the Department of Defense are concerned about our Seals and their families as the search-and-rescue operation continues,” a White House national security spokesperson told the Daily Caller.
“My personal opinion, the people controlling Biden right now want to keep him as far away from the headline of ‘more American casualties’ as possible,” Tim W, a former Navy SEAL of 22 years, told the Daily Caller.
Top Biden spokesman John Kirby says he has no update on the two Navy SEALs who went missing off the coast of Somalia over the weekend during a planned operation pic.twitter.com/bpzZqLOjkj
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 16, 2024
The SEALs went missing as U.S. Navy special operators seized a ship of Iranian weapons components on Jan. 11 that was on its way to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The weapons seized, medium-range ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and air defense systems, are suspected to potentially have been used for continued attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea. (RELATED: Shipping Giant Halts Commerce In Red Sea Despite US Navy Defending Against Houthi Attacks)
“We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates,” General Michael Erik Kurilla, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander, said in a statement announcing the successful seizure of dhow that was conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran.
During a Tuesday virtual press briefing, White House national security spokesman John Kirby reiterated that the search and rescue effort is ongoing and the Pentagon expressed similar sentiments Wednesday.
“So on the search and rescue, the — CENTCOM continues to lead that effort. It is ongoing. Certainly you know, we hope that we are able to recover our teammates. Our thoughts and prayers are clearly with their families at this time. I don’t have any specific updates to provide right now other than other than that that’s ongoing,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
The amount of information that the president and the government can reveal in a situation such as the current one is limited, Tim W. told the Daily Caller.
“The department of defense seems content with the statements of CENTCOM. A mitigating factor with the DOD is that the platoon that those two seals came from is still operational. That by practice, restricts a lot of the information that can be disseminated,” he said.
“Finally, Naval special warfare has a tendency to protect their own in cases like this. News gossip about Navy SEALs is usually negative. The command these men came from will also differ to family requests as long as possible,” he continued, adding that normally a family requests privacy.
There are 2 Navy Seals missing because of Joe Biden’s Mismanagement of the Houthis pic.twitter.com/Nep4znmkff
— Harrison Krank (@HarrisonKrank) January 16, 2024
After Kirby concluded taking questions at the White House’s Wednesday press briefing, a reporter shouted, asking the spokesperson for an update on the missing SEALs. Kirby did not turn around to answer the question.
“Kirby didn’t decline to comment; they had already called last question and it was shouted to him as he was leaving/had already left the podium. Trust me, the former Navy sailor would’ve answered had he had the opportunity,” a White House national security spokesperson told the Daily Caller.
Biden is expected to address a crowd in North Carolina to tout his economic policies Thursday. The president regularly ends his speeches with “God bless you all. And may God protect our troops.”
“It’s par for the course. This administration, it’s if you can’t see it, it ain’t there. I think involving SEALs being lost to see would admit to the instability to the region,” Rob O’Neil, a former Navy SEAL, told the Daily Caller.