BlackFive has the bottom line wrap-up:

The tests for our President continue and I now have multiple confirmations saying that the initial set of rules that Obama put on the Navy forbid any active attempts to rescue the hostage and only after they requested he reinstate their authority to act if the hostage was in imminent danger did he do so (my emphasis-BZ).

Now he needs to put some teeth in the words he mouthed yesterday. It is one thing to say you want to end the scourge of piracy, but until you find the spine to attack their lairs (as Krauthammer calls them) you are swatting mosquitoes not draining the swamp.

Obama still operates as if everyone runs according to the laws on his planet, where the skies are all gorgeous, green, and love prevails in the realm.

The challenges to America will continue and like culminate, unless lines are drawn, in another 9/11 -type incident.