Surprise is what I was when I read that the Obama administration has arranged to provide free of charge several customized special-operations military vessels to the Government of Kenya, so says the U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor.  Not coincidentally the finalization of those plans came exactly one week prior to today's explosion in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

According to Steve Peacock on thedailysheeple.com the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command is awarding a noncompetitive “sole-source contract to United States Marine Incorporated (USMI) of Gulfport, Miss to provide five (5) 11M Naval Special Warfare Rigid Inflatable Boats,” according to a presolicitation notice that NAVSEC uploaded to a federal contracting database May 21.

The U.S. Navy in a separate “Fact File” describes the vessels as “High-speed, high-buoyancy, extreme-weather craft with the primary mission of SEAL insertion/extraction.”A History Channel report referred to the boat as “the Lamborghini of special warfare craft.”

And why Kenya?  Why not send weaponry to Syria to help the citizens fight against that brutal regime over there?

One side note, I do applaud the current administration for not letting politics interfere with their decision making process.  You see a review of Federal Election Commission campaign contribution records supports NAVSECs contention that it awarded the noncompetitive contract based on USMI’s ability to provide the equipment; indeed, the Obama Administration clearly did not allow the company executive team’s generosity to Republican causes to stand in the way of this award.

USMI Chairman John Dane III, for example, donated $104,000 largely to Republican committees and candidates since 1998.

The most sizable gift from Dane III was a $25,000 contribution to the Republican National Committee in 2004. He also gave $15,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee in July 2010—a contribution that he matched once again in October 2011.

Six days later he contributed $2,500 to Romney for President, Inc.