Kinda weird writer who asks questions like this
Needless to say, I have questions about some of the details. I don’t doubt there are good answers. I just don’t know what they are. For instance, why was the sniper’s best position a mile away? Why was it necessary to let the killers get so close to actually killing the hostages before the sniper fired? Was there nothing the special forces could have done in the meantime? How close were they? Was it a matter of the ISIS guys needing to be dead because they would have surely killed the hostages upon seeing anyone rushing the scene?
I ask not as a skeptic or a critic, but just as a layman who has never done this kind of work and doesn’t know all the tactical ins and outs.
Why bring these up and try to expose strategy that can be capitalized upon?
Especially when much of the answer is just common sense. Standoff distance, E&E possibilities including head start, ability to communicate and maneuver, ability to remain concealed (less likely to be discovered than being closer, terrain dependent as well, urban/boonies, lots of variables go into picking a hide.
Timing may be a matter of getting clearance to take the shot, or ascertaining intent, because the shot ends the poop and snoop part of the operation and any chance to get a higher value target. Now they know you are there.
