Rtm
I can find nothing in my QRH or AFM about considering the area I am flying over, it's not there and never will be.
Captains are not always right, they make mistakes, that's where CRM comes to the fore and a good F/O speaks up, that's the beauty of two crew.
This cowl V2500 thing has happened some 32 times before, your assertion that it was a miracle that the aircraft didn't end up as a crash is laughable. It was pure bad luck that a fuel pipe was fractured on the right engine. In all of the other events the cowls left the scene at rotation, just as these did, none of those fuel pipes were fractured.
I stand by claim, apart from an inadequate walk around, the crew did a good job. They got handed a certified airworthy aircraft, correctly signed off, engineering should wear most of the egg on face. Management /manufacturer/and regulator sowed the seeds for this many many years ago, but will hide behind their desks.