The right wing is losing its last two marbles over Benghazi
Former Secretary of State Condi Rice went on Fox News Wednesday to discuss the Obama administration’s handling of the Benghazi attacks. Given her background and experience, she actually knows a thing or two about such issues, and it showed in her comments.
“When things are unfolding very very quickly, it’s not always easy to know what’s going on on the ground…,” she told Greta Van Susteren. “There’s a big picture to be examined here but we don’t have all of the pieces and I think it’s easy to try to jump to conclusions about what happened here. It’s probably better to let the relevent (investigative) bodies do their work.”
“The problem is when there is a fog of war like this, there are a lot of competing stories coming in, there’s a lot a competing information coming in, and it takes a little while to know precisely what has happened,” she went on to explain.
Even now, a month later, what Rice refers to as “the fog of war” has yet to lift. It took 10 days after the attack to even get FBI agents on the ground in Benghazi. To this day, there are still indications that the anti-Muslim video and the protests in Egypt played some role in what happened. There are still serious doubts whether the local militia group believed responsible has any ties whatsoever to al Qaida. And there is very good reason to believe that the attack was a crime of opportunity rather than some carefully planned military operation.
All in all, the tumult on the right about this story probably has the lowest content-to-noise ratio of any of the fake outrages fabricated so far by the right-wing media, and yes, I understand that’s saying a lot. Conservatives can’t even articulate what they’re mad about, only that they’re mad and somehow it’s Obama’s fault.
Michael Hirsh, a journalist with extensive overseas and warzone experience, does a good job of putting the fake scandal in context in a piece for National Journal. Take, for example, the newly released e-mails in which the State Department was notified that an Islamist group had claimed credit on Facebook for the Benghazi attacks. (The Facebook posting also called for an attack on the embassy in Tripoli, which never took place).
As Hirsh notes:
“The e-mails in question contained nothing more than “raw” intelligence, uncorroborated and unverified, that often flows in after an event. Intelligence officials typically don’t deliver their assessments until they have “finished” reports based on multiple sources, and corroborated evidence, and Obama officials such as (UN Ambassador Susan) Rice certainly would not have been out in front of the TV cameras citing raw intelligence. And as the government’s most senior officials say, the Benghazi case has taken them a long time to finish. “People forget that a Palestinian group was the first to claim credit for 9/11,” the intelligence official said. “There was no message from the field in those first hectic days that would have eliminated questions or proven who was behind the attack.”
He can believe him, or you can believe what the Sean Hannitys of the world are saying, which goes something like this:
– Jay Bookman
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899 comments Add your comment
DebbieDoRight - A Do Right Woman
October 25th, 2012
4:13 pm
cnn blew it too with speculation and Panetta is scolding the media..
That’s why I try to get 65% of my news from England or Australia or Canada. American journalists have disappeared and have been replaced by ex-Entertainment Tonight .Frontmen who have NO journalistic integrity, (or probably any integrity) and who are consumed with ratings and NOT reporting and definitely NOT digging for the truth.
When CNN started following Faux News’ lead by making up invisible disasters and pandering to the illiterate all in the name of ratings — it was time to turn the channel before I threw up.
Scrivener
October 25th, 2012
4:13 pm
Condi is a class act and didn’t say anything I disagree with, nor did she exonerate the current administration’s handling of things. The more facts do come out, the worse it looks for this bunch of clowns who immediately proclaimed it was a protest due to a video.
Erwin's cat
October 25th, 2012
4:13 pm
indigo – It is indeed a “fake scandal”. Unfortunately, a large number of simple minded Republican voters think it’s actually a serious scandal, precisely because that’s what they have been told to think by their Republican politicians…
Yes, because some of those R’s may have voted for Obama otherwise
Doggone/GA
October 25th, 2012
4:13 pm
oops1 “until he was unable ” should be “WHEN he was unable
getalife
October 25th, 2012
4:14 pm
josef,
I thought it was a rocket factory .
DwayneL
October 25th, 2012
4:15 pm
so you’re ok with 4 Americans getting killed?
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:15 pm
Two Points:
1) Rice: “When things are unfolding very very quickly, it’s not always easy to know what’s going on on the ground…,”
Precisely ! That’s why you have preplanned evacuation contingencies. It is too late if you wait to start when the crisis begins ………… you plan for the worst ahead of time and you have assest in place ready to go to carry out that plan. In one of the most dangerous places in the world for a U.S. Ambassador this was apparently not done. Someone dropped the ball bigtime.
2) JAY BOOKMAN: “The premise of the entire debate is false, because the attack on our consulate in Benghazi was not an act of terror.”
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/10/17/on-benghazi-the-debate-and-acts-of-terror/
JP
October 25th, 2012
4:15 pm
Okay, Jay, if there was a lot of confusion b/c of the “fog of war”, then wouldn’t it be reasonable for Obama, Susan Rice, Hillary Clinton, Jay Carney, and the rest of his gang to tell the American people and the UN that “…we don’t really know what happened at this point, but we are conducting a full investigation…” instead of emphatically blaming a random video? His administration has floated the video angle over and over again. He lied. You can spin it all you want.
josef
October 25th, 2012
4:15 pm
JHM
Though you are supposed to not be speaking TO me, I still will respond…I did not direct that to you personally since I did not attribute it to you, but to the general memo on the left. I read your comment, but responded to Scootter’s—by choice, yes, but not in any way taking a swipe at you. Scootter was the one who was surprised you mentioned it. Not me.
They BOTH suck
October 25th, 2012
4:16 pm
Scout
Maybe Powell was really telling Romney that ” a lot better man than he have taken care of him”……… or however you phrase it.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 25th, 2012
4:17 pm
I appreciate your clarification, Josef.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:17 pm
JP:
Exacty ! Thank you.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 25th, 2012
4:17 pm
American journalists have disappeared and have been replaced by ex-Entertainment Tonight .Frontmen
like that Bookman dude….
Brosephus™
October 25th, 2012
4:18 pm
Why? Because he is a counterfeit Republican voting for Obama.
I hope to meet the one TRUE Republican in my lifetime.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:18 pm
They BOTH suck:
You mean “Obama has been kept by better men than himself”.
Real Scootter
October 25th, 2012
4:18 pm
Thanks for sharing that with me JHM.You had me a bit bewildered there.It just didn’t seem like your usually reasoned opinion.And of course it isn’t hard to confuse me either!!
Regnad Kcin
October 25th, 2012
4:18 pm
“Whatever shred of respect I once had for General Powell is gone, permanently. Why? Because he is a counterfeit Republican voting for Obama.”
With all respect, I’m not sure who you think cares what you think of General Powell, a hro who has served his nation to the best of his ability.
They BOTH suck
October 25th, 2012
4:18 pm
DDR
I have read several times where Ted Turner has called out CNN for doing exactly what you stated
rightwingextreme
October 25th, 2012
4:18 pm
Well, if you respect Powell, that puts him in company with Castro, Chavez and Putin who have all endorsed Obama as well.
Doesn’t say much for Powell.
josef
October 25th, 2012
4:18 pm
getalife
I think so…some of those rockets have been going to the Sinai. Israel can’t attack the Sinai directly because of the peace treaty with Egypt. I’m not real sure what to make of this yet myself. Details are still pretty sketchy. It’s by no means the first time Israel has taken actions against Sudan…
CJ
October 25th, 2012
4:19 pm
Thanks for this post Jay!
curious
October 25th, 2012
4:20 pm
USMC
“OBAMA LIED…. PEOPLE DIED!”
Don’t you have this reversed?
Anyway, check your chinstrap. It must be on too tight.
They BOTH suck
October 25th, 2012
4:20 pm
Scout
No I meant what I said.
Why do you never mention that about the numerous Republicans you vote for who never served or the right leaning bloggers who have never served?
I apologize if you have, but I do not ever recall seeing it.
If you haven’t, don’t be so selective with that rebuke
DownInAlbany
October 25th, 2012
4:21 pm
“I know why I supported (the invasion of Iraq.) I believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction as did every intelligence agency in the world.
Is this the same intelligence agency that the current administration threw under the bus regarding Libya? That’s what I thought….
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 25th, 2012
4:21 pm
Senior Digits hissy fit: Whatever shred of respect I once had for General Powell is gone, permanently. Why? Because he is a counterfeit Republican voting for Obama
I see. SO you only respect those who walk in lockstep with your beliefs and who have no backbone to stand up to petty bullies like you to state their beliefs and to vote as they determine is in the best interest of the country. Given that you claim veteran status and repeatedly tout your Vietnam experience, your lack of respect to the ideals you claim to have fought for and others who have also served this country proudly is shameful.
Adam
October 25th, 2012
4:21 pm
Republicans have really blown their best chance to reclaim national security dominance by focusing almost entirely on nitpicking merely HOW THE EVENT WAS DESCRIBED.
It’s sad and funny to watch all at the same time.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:21 pm
From Regnad Kcin to Jay Bookman:
“With all respect, I’m not sure who you think cares what you think of Senator John McCain, a hro (sic) who has served his nation to the best of his ability.”
They BOTH suck
October 25th, 2012
4:21 pm
getalife and josef
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/Sudan:_a_front_for_Israels_proxy_war_on_Sinai_jihadis.html?cid=33815242
getalife
October 25th, 2012
4:22 pm
Vote:
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/832372/thumbs/o-KATY-PERRY-BALLOT-DRESS-570.jpg?11
Misty Fyed
October 25th, 2012
4:22 pm
So I guess to the AJC and the Jay Bookman’s of the world; we should give Obama until atleast November 7 to look into the matter. Just ignore that American’s were under attack for 6-7 hours…That his administration knew about it and made no attempt to give aid. That Obama went to bed during the event and woke up and went to Vegas for political reasons. That America should just ignore the fact that he didn’t say he was awaiting the details of what happened, but created a story about some stupid Youtube video so he wouldn’t look bad.
You liberals have absolutely no integrity of thought. You give cover for either the most inept adminstration in decades or the most corrupt since Nixon.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 25th, 2012
4:22 pm
0311 — “Precisely ! That’s why you have preplanned evacuation contingencies.”
Everything I’ve read on the topic lately seems to indicate that diplomatic security (perimeter security, personnel security, residential security, et al) is the responsibility of the *host* nation, not of the Marines serving at diplomatic posts. It seems — again, from what I’ve read — that the Marine contingents are generally far too small for that, and that their tasks are more often *internal* security of the facility they serve, as well as ceremonial. The key task they seem to fulfill (which I did not know) would be to ensure that secure commo gear, sensitive documents and other classified material) gets removed or destroyed in the event that perimeter security is breached.
Can you perhaps comment on this? Did you ever serve as an embassy guard or did you have some Marine friends/associates who pulled that duty at some point?
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:23 pm
Keep Up the Good Fight! :
Why thank you ………… I did join the military to fight for the right for others to be wrong.
TaxPayer
October 25th, 2012
4:23 pm
Scout,
The Republican Party token committee called and said they cannot afford to lose Powell. He’s the Mohican of the GOP.
Citizen of the World
October 25th, 2012
4:24 pm
We don’t know what happened yet, so it’s much too soon to declare in all caps (as USMC keeps doing): Obama lied … people died. Anyway, should there prove to be an issue with Obama’s handling of this matter after the fact, the most that could be said is actually the opposite: People died … Obama lied. That would be bad, but not near as bad as what Bush did.
Brosephus™
October 25th, 2012
4:24 pm
if there was a lot of confusion b/c of the “fog of war”, then wouldn’t it be reasonable for Obama, Susan Rice, Hillary Clinton, Jay Carney, and the rest of his gang to tell the American people and the UN that “…we don’t really know what happened at this point, but we are conducting a full investigation…”
Do you think that our instant gratification society would tolerate such a thing? Obama’s been called almost every “in-” and “un-” word in the dictionary. Had that statement been made, all we would be hearing now is that he doesn’t know what he’s doing or he’s in over his head.
This whole fiasco is a “heads, they win.. tails, you lose” situation for Obama. Regardless to what was said or done in that time after the attack, he would have been treated the same exact way by the Right. The only thing different would be the accusations being thrown.
Regnad Kcin
October 25th, 2012
4:25 pm
Mr. Digits – Whatever gave you the impression that that you could speak for me? What a silly little boy you are!
signified
October 25th, 2012
4:25 pm
WHO HERE THINKS “USMC” IS ACTUALLY A MARINE? I DON’T. NO REAL MARINE WOULD SHOW SUCH DISRESPECT TO THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF. MUST BE ANOTHER RIGHT-WING SYCOPHANT.
They BOTH suck
October 25th, 2012
4:25 pm
“I did join the military to fight for the right for others to be wrong.”
Thanks again for your service and you surely fought valiantly for your own right to be wrong…………………because it shows on a regular basis
Adam
October 25th, 2012
4:25 pm
Anyway, should there prove to be an issue with Obama’s handling of this matter after the fact, the most that could be said is actually the opposite: People died … Obama lied.
Exactly. Exactly.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 25th, 2012
4:26 pm
Scootter — “Thanks for sharing that with me JHM.You had me a bit bewildered there.It just didn’t seem like your usually reasoned opinion.And of course it isn’t hard to confuse me either!! ”
I think I was a bit clumsy in making my point; I was trying to mimic E. Cat’s tone in my pseudo-rant about 9/11. I *don’t* think that President Bush should have leapt up and freaked out when he was told of the attack (although I do think he could have calmly excused himself). That said, I don’t think that ten minutes’ delay on 9/11 made a lot of difference. The planes were already in the air and the only other course of action would have been to shoot them down.
Pizzaman
October 25th, 2012
4:26 pm
Can’t even get past the first comment:
Hay! Jar Head! (USMC for those of you who don’t know). “Obama lied – People died”. Correct. 4 US personnel in a hostile foreign country who knew there was/could be danger.
Bush Lied – People Died: 4,000 in this Country. 4,000 who thought their government could keep them safe at home, at least.
Your guy is 4000x worse that mine!
Pizzaman
USN Retired.
Now I’ll read the rest of the posts!
getalife
October 25th, 2012
4:26 pm
josef,
Looks like a good strike to me.
Probably helped Egypt too.
Good intell.
TaxPayer
October 25th, 2012
4:27 pm
The Antiqued White Party is trying its best to achieve 100% and with the loss of Powell, they don’t have far to go. I think they can easily make it by election day.
josef
October 25th, 2012
4:28 pm
BOTH
Thanks…
JHM
You’re welcome…
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
October 25th, 2012
4:28 pm
Etch a Sketch?
Marbles?
Romney with a spine like Gumby.
Mourdock has Cooties.
.
.
.
.
Fun in the GOP Toy Box.
DownInAlbany
October 25th, 2012
4:29 pm
CBS News has released a clip of an interview by Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes on Sep. 12 with President Barack Obama that indicates Obama knew the assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya was a premeditated terror attack–and suggests the White House later deceived the public by blaming protests against an anti-Islam video. CBS chose not to air the clip for over a month–but did air Obama’s attack on Romney that same night.
Today, at the White House press gaggle, Jay Carney was asked one – really, just one – question about the emails regarding the terrorist attack in Benghazi. Those emails, to refresh, showed that within two hours of the attacks, the White House had been informed that the action on the ground was a terrorist attack. There was no mention of a YouTube video or a spontaneous demonstration in the emails.
Carney acknowledged today not only that the White House knew, but that it knew “instantaneously”:
The email you’re referring to was an open-source, unclassified email referring to an assertion made on a social media site that everyone in this room had access to and knew about instantaneously.
Instantaneously. Yet the Obama administration claimed for weeks that they were giving Americans the best available information.
Just over two hours after the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi began on Sep. 11, the White House Situation Room was notified that a militant group with connections to al Qaeda had claimed responsibility, undermining claims by the Obama administration and the media that a video was initially the suspected cause.
I don’t guess you people believe Jay Carney? Why do you think this subject is even up for debate?
Joe Hussein Mama
October 25th, 2012
4:29 pm
M. Fyed — “That his administration knew about it and made no attempt to give aid.”
What aid would you have had the President send, precisely? Please share some details with me.
“You liberals have absolutely no integrity of thought.”
Quite the contrary. I think you cons are shooting from the hip and not thinking your positions and arguments through before posting them.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:29 pm
Joe Hussein Mama:
Your premise is faulty. It is my understanding that Marines were not at the consulate anyway. The Ambassador was there with inadquate security (he had asked for more) capable of handling a sustained assault.
Bottom line ……… the Ambassador was in a VERY dangerous area. He should have had the minimum security required (Host Country Security, Marines, Diplomatic Security Service (State Department) agents, private security (Blackwater) or whatever) to hold on long enough for an evacuation force to arrive.
That was not done.
The words driven into every agent in my agency were “COVER AND EVACUATE”.
He did not have enough assets to “cover” and there was no “evacuation” plan with a reasonable chance of success.
Shameful.
DebbieDoRight - A Do Right Woman
October 25th, 2012
4:30 pm
The right tried the same thing with 47% stuff and Romney apologized by the hits keep coming.
Obama accepted blame for the intelligence, and yet here we are — another day of this drum banging on and on.
BANG! Obama lied! BANG! What happened? BANG! We should know, even though we still won’t believe and we’d find something else to complain about! BANG!
=========================
In support of McCain I will say this: He tried. He tried to be a “Maverick”. He tried to do it his way; he tired to be middle of the road and ethical. Unfortunately, he’s a member of party that sent out flyers claiming that he had a black love child and secretly dislikes DOMA. His own party did that to him. He tried, but in the end, the Independents just don’t have enough money to buy a few dozen TV ads.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:30 pm
TaxPayer @ 4:23
No ……….. by your definition he is a “Hessian” of the GOP>
Kimmer
October 25th, 2012
4:30 pm
So Jay you say conservatives have ‘lost their marbles’ over Benghazi well you libs just want to ‘whistle past the graveyard’.
Whether its a scandal or not is debatable. It might be just gross incompetence. Either way it highlights a serious foreign policy deficiency in the Obama administration just weeks before a very close election.
Can you with a straight face tell me that you wouldn’t be handing it to a republican administration if the shoe was on the other foot?
In any case its up to the American people to decide for themselves whether its a big deal or not. I think they will agree that it is and Obama will pay a price for it at the polls.
gadem
October 25th, 2012
4:31 pm
Poor Willard….
http://youtu.be/ByzxFQSlyDA
Brosephus™
October 25th, 2012
4:31 pm
“Romney with a spine like
GumbyReady Whip.”Clay is a much stiffer material than Romney’s entire body, much less his spine.
They BOTH suck
October 25th, 2012
4:31 pm
Scout
What is shameful is that during the Issa hearing it was stated that an increased security presence would not have repelled that attack, yet you have NEVER mentioned that fact…….
SHAMEFUL.
If you are going to tell it. Tell it all
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:32 pm
They BOTH suck:
………… and that’s why we debate and vote !
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 25th, 2012
4:33 pm
JAY,
How you can try to condemn the administration for not telling the story straight immediately when we do not even know what the straight story is today is simply remarkable. Trying to turn that into another Watergate-level scandal extends “remarkable” to “downright ludicrous.”
Why do you think I’m condemning the administration…putting words in my mouth is simply another BS deflection and you know it…I have NEVER suggested this is some Watergate scandal is a far cry from expecting the administration to say something to clear up the BS way your pal BO and his minions have handled this…
Once again you deflect by inferring I’m hysterical over this…which is not the case. Why doesn’t he simply come out and say that there was some confusion the first few weeks surrounding this and we could have handled it better? He could certainly neuter all naysayers…you still can’t answer the question can you Jay?
They BOTH suck
October 25th, 2012
4:34 pm
Scout
True enough
USMC
October 25th, 2012
4:34 pm
JOHN BOLTON: BENGHAZI ‘AN INCREDIBLY STUPID COVER-UP’
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/10/24/John-Bolton-Benghazi-Not-Just-A-Cover-Up-But-An-Incredibly-Stupid-Cover-Up
josef
October 25th, 2012
4:34 pm
signified
USMC is now a civilian, I believe…he can say or do whatever he wants without answering to the military command structure…he just likes to poke people and see what kind of reaction he gets…
GETALIFE
Yep. Also, Israel has been invited in to the South Sudan to help them with establishing a military to counter the Sudanese encroachments on their territory…they’ve also poured megashekels into the development of medical and educational infrastructure there…
They BOTH suck
October 25th, 2012
4:35 pm
Check in later………..
peace
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:35 pm
They BOTH suck:
Again, your premise is faulty.
They held for a long time with just a minimum of assets. Basically, the two SEALs who came to their aid ran out of ammo. Go back and read what I said. If they had had more security they could possibly have held out long enough for an evacuation plan to be put into effect.
NO ONE PLANNED for the worst contingency and the rest is history. Someone should be held to account.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 25th, 2012
4:36 pm
Posting lies and distorting the truth is NOT debate… other than in GOP world.
josef
October 25th, 2012
4:38 pm
BROSEPHUS
“Do you think that our instant gratification society would tolerate such a thing?”
This is the crux of the matter in dealing with any such occurrence…that and 20/20 hindsight.
They BOTH suck
October 25th, 2012
4:38 pm
Scout
Read the testimony……….. It is not my premise, but nice try.
got to run
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:38 pm
Keep Up the Good Fight! :
……….. so say ye and thus we doth debate !
Butch Cassidy (I)
October 25th, 2012
4:38 pm
Misty Fyed – “That Obama went to bed during the event and woke up and went to Vegas for political reasons.”
If you’re going to quote Hannity from last night, the least you could do is give him credit.
DebbieDoRight - A Do Right Woman
October 25th, 2012
4:39 pm
so you’re ok with 4 Americans getting killed?
Ok — let’s go back and revisit history here (I know, History+Facts+Math=Kryptonite to cons but try to keep up anyway):
1) There was a riot or a staged attack or a protest outside of the consulate on 9/11
2) Americans, AS WELL AS, the Syrians who were guarding the consulate died.
3) Pres. O tells the American people what happened.
Now, unless the president has a time machine in the basement of the white house and quickly teleported himself BACK to washington AFTER the deaths of those people, then there is NOTHING he could’ve done to stop those deaths. Let me repeat this — NOTHING.
4) Pres. O stated that those who are responsible for the deaths WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
(In Dem talk that means — they’re as good as dead. In Repub talk that means, we have to find a way to go to war and nuke a couple of people while NEVER finding the ones who actually did the killing).
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 25th, 2012
4:40 pm
DDR, Jay et al
Suggest you take your defection goggles off and peruse DOWNINALBANY’S @ 4:29…
Take your lunatic leftie blinders off for a second and consider that based on what came out on 60 minutes where BO admitted that he knew it was terror attack and that pogue Carney’s clarification today and put Romney in the same situation and tell me exactly how you would want Romney to answer for this…
Impossible isn’t it?
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:40 pm
They BOTH suck:
Here’s the bottom line ……………..
If you have a protectee and you don’t have enough assets to protect said protectee until he/she can be evacuated ………… then you don’t let them go into that insecure area.
Heads need to roll !
Joe Hussein Mama
October 25th, 2012
4:40 pm
0311 — “Your premise is faulty.”
I don’t really *have* a premise and admitted as much in my previous post to you. I simply articulated what I had read and asked you to elaborate if you could. Please bear in mind that I’m not disagreeing with you — I’m simply trying to sort out who should have done what.
“It is my understanding that Marines were not at the consulate anyway. The Ambassador was there with inadquate security (he had asked for more) capable of handling a sustained assault.”
I’m aware that he had asked for more on several occasions, and that he didn’t get it. You’re aware that Congress had cut the budget for diplomatic security, aren’t you?
“Bottom line ……… the Ambassador was in a VERY dangerous area. He should have had the minimum security required (Host Country Security, Marines, Diplomatic Security Service (State Department) agents, private security (Blackwater) or whatever) to hold on long enough for an evacuation force to arrive.”
Can ambassadors cut contracts with private security firms? Or does that have to go through Procurement at the State Department or somewhere else? What I’m trying to get at here is if there was a way, given procedures and available funds, for the Ambassador to have cut the red tape and gotten what he needed. And if not him, then who could have? Who would have been the lowest person on the ladder who could have approved the additional security?
“That was not done.”
Agreed. I’m trying to figure out whose fault that was, because I’m not willing to leap to the conclusion that it was the President.
“The words driven into every agent in my agency were “COVER AND EVACUATE”. He did not have enough assets to “cover” and there was no “evacuation” plan with a reasonable chance of success.”
I have no argument with that. I think our main point of disagreement is who had the authority and control over the purse strings.
willydoit?
October 25th, 2012
4:41 pm
“McCain is still reeling and upset because of his awesome VP nominee choice”
McCain would have still lost if he had reincarnated Ronald Reagan and had him as his VP!
The sad part is, Palin was the reason he got as many votes as he did.
It was time for McCain to retire long before the last election.
Just Saying..
October 25th, 2012
4:42 pm
USMC: You, of course, first received clearance from the revered Corps to use their name in your partisan public posts.
Didn’t you?
josef
October 25th, 2012
4:42 pm
USMC
You know that Bolton is a dumb sh*t. Just trying to stir up trouble, ain’t you?
DownInAlbany
October 25th, 2012
4:44 pm
Charles Woods, the father of former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, who was killed in Benghazi on September 11th, called into the Lars Larson show yesterday. The call was not scheduled – in fact, Mr. Woods indicated that he does not usually call into radio programs. But in light of recent news reports about what happened on the ground in Benghazi, and the discovery that the administration monitored events real time, Tyrone’s father says he felt compelled to speak out.
Mr. Woods described his meeting with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, portraying their apologies to him as feeling “insincere.” He expressed his concern that the whole truth is not yet being told, and that the public needs to keep pushing for answers. “Something is fishy about what happened over there,” he said.
Sadly, Tyrone Woods was only expected to be in Libya for a few more days before the attack happened and he responded to the calls for help, as his father described. “In six more days, he would have been home.”
When asked by the host what we can do to honor his son, Mr. Woods replied,
“We need to make sure that this does not happen again. Ty isn’t the only military person that’s willing to lay down his life for his buddies and for the other people that he works with. Every person in the military is willing to do that, and it would just be a matter of just, I don’t know, for people to continue to be courageous. He’s gone, he’s dead, one of these days I feel I’ll see my son in Heaven. And I’m not mad at anyone, so it’s not a matter of revenge or anything like that…but the truth needs to be out so something like this doesn’t happen again, so that people like Ty who are out there – principled men and women – that are willing to sacrifice their lives, that they won’t be abandoned by their Commander in Chief.”
The show ended with a chilling statement from Ty’s father:
“We do need to find out who it was that gave the order not to protect our military people there, and whoever it is needs to have the guts to stand up and say ‘I was the one that gave the order not to send troops to protect,’ because they could have, the military would have wanted to. Someone had to have said don’t rescue them.”
Tyrone Woods was killed along with US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, fellow Navy SEAL Glen Doherty and State Department Information Analyst Sean Smith.
In the words of Mr. Woods, “I hope that the public will not forget this.”
Not that it matters to the libs…
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 25th, 2012
4:46 pm
Speaking of McCain’s shameless political loss of a spine:
Perhaps more startling than McConnell’s support was Sen. John McCain’s announcement. The Arizona Republican, who had withdrawn his backing of Mourdock Wednesday night, backtracked Thursday in a statement from his office that said McCain was satisfied with the “apology.”
“Senator McCain is glad that Mr. Mourdock apologized to the people of Indiana and clarified his previous statement,” said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers. “Senator McCain hopes the people of Indiana will elect Mr. Mourdock to the U.S. Senate.”
Scooter
October 25th, 2012
4:46 pm
That Condi sure does have class. I so vividly remember her going out of her way to not insinuate that 9/11 was thoroughly planned and set into motion under the previous administration.
joe
October 25th, 2012
4:47 pm
To use one of Obama’s favorite words to describe bookman’s post–”Bullsh8t”
If Bush or any conservative were currently president, the MSM would be over this like white on rice. But because the MSM hero is president, they give him yet another pass. Pathetic. Can’t wait til Nov 6. With each passing day, it looks better and better for Barry being a one-termer!
DownInAlbany
October 25th, 2012
4:47 pm
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 25th, 2012
4:36 pm
Posting lies and distorting the truth is NOT debate… other than in GOP world.
What lies do you refer to? Be specific…if you can.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:49 pm
Joe Hussein Mama:
“I have no argument with that. I think our main point of disagreement is who had the authority and control over the purse strings.”
We are close.
The person responsible is the one who either denied additional security (regardless of yearly budgets you can always short-term more assets for a trip to Benghazi or anywhere else) or the person who knew additional security was needed but “failed to act”.
I have posted this before but I will say it again. For many years I planned arrests, search warrants, raids, buy-busts, etc. If anyone had been seriously injured or killed under my supervision, EVERYTHING I did (or didn’t do) would have been investigated and scrutinized and I would have been held to account.
I expect no more or less of others regardless of their rank or position.
Is it me are does Obama look like.......
October 25th, 2012
4:49 pm
Obama’s regime not administration hopes Bengazi goes away! This may be the most shameful example of respect for life in how he treated Ambassador Stevens! Obama has to go and people with a brain. It is so unfortunate how he is pulling our country down. I started a company 18 months ago that is trending @ 4 million in revenue. I can assure you and Obama that he had not one flipping thing to do with it. I will not pay for anymore social programs with my taxes, that is a definite!
USMC
October 25th, 2012
4:50 pm
“USMC is now a civilian, I believe…he can say or do whatever he wants without answering to the military command structure…he just likes to poke people and see what kind of reaction he gets…”–josef
Thanks josef. By the way, what is that crazy sound during the day coming from AIS??? Is that the 2012 version of a school bell in France???
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:50 pm
DownInAlbany:
Thank you.
St Simons
October 25th, 2012
4:51 pm
if Lord Hairgel was really ahead, they wouldn’t be losing their marbles.
can we call them the whigs now?
deegee
October 25th, 2012
4:51 pm
But, but but, it was on Facebook! The perps claimed credit on Facebook! Doesn’t the White House have Facebook??? Don’t they have Facebook friends in the ME?
Rebar
October 25th, 2012
4:51 pm
Hey, DownInAlbany, Kiss my grits! There are plenty of liberals serving in our armed forces; quit trying to make this a partisan issue!
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:53 pm
Don’t Mess With Texas !!!
“Texas authorities have threatened to arrest international election observers, prompting a furious response from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott further fueled the controversy on Tuesday when he sent a letter to the OSCE warning the organization that its representatives “are not authorized by Texas law to enter a polling place” and that it “may be a criminal offense for OSCE’s representatives to maintain a presence within 100 feet of a polling place’s entrance.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/un-treaties/264121-texas-sparks-international-row-with-election-observers
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
October 25th, 2012
4:54 pm
Off to the dog park ! Everyone be nice ………. especially you libs.
Country Before Party
October 25th, 2012
4:54 pm
It’s a shame for people on this blog, who claim to be veterans and loyal Americans, to attack a person of integrity like Gen. Powell. How about setting your politics aside, like Powell, and try to do whats best for your country.
Tinkerella
October 25th, 2012
4:54 pm
Salt Lake Tribune backs Obama…..geez even the Mormons don’t want him
USMC
October 25th, 2012
4:54 pm
“Hey, DownInAlbany, Kiss my grits! There are plenty of liberals serving in our armed forces; quit trying to make this a partisan issue!”–Rebar
Okay Flo!
josef
October 25th, 2012
4:55 pm
USMC
My 4:52 got thrown into moderation…obviously the blue nose is either at AIS or a petite bourgeoise!
curious
October 25th, 2012
4:55 pm
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
USMC
Neither got beyond the rank of E-5, but they have access to the latest intel.
I’m also sure GEN Powell will be broken up when he learns of their loss of respect for him.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
October 25th, 2012
4:55 pm
I heard Honey Boo Boo claimed responsibility for the attacks within minutes….. why did the President not tell us this immediately and send troops to her house? Oh lordy, he must be impeached.
RF
October 25th, 2012
4:56 pm
“‘I was the one that gave the order not to send troops to protect,’ because they could have, the military would have wanted to. Someone had to have said don’t rescue them.” ”
Leon Pannetta has said that the military didn’t have enough reliable intelligence at that point to authorize a military action. As pitiful and inexcusable as that sounds, he’s right. You can’t send a complement of soldiers and firepower into a situation you know nothing about. If there’s blame to lay, it seems to me the CIA should be shouldering some if not most of it, and they’re getting a pass here for reasons I don’t understand. If they had a base of operations there, why didn’t they have any idea about activity among the group that led the attack? Or did they know and chose to overlook the threat level? If senior staffers were clueless about what was going on, it was because nobody seems to have had enough information to make a clear decision. We can’t just go in guns blazing without knowing what we’re facing. The region’s too volatile and there are too many who would love for us to do that just so they’d have a reason to rally more forces against us and against democracy in the region. This is a dicey mess to deal with, and military strikes without carefully laid out intelligence isn’t going to solve anything. Just as we couldn’t start shooting planes down on 9/11 because we didn’t know enough, we didn’t know enough in Benghazi to go rushing in and possibly start what could snowball into a much much bigger mess than we have now.
DownInAlbany
October 25th, 2012
4:57 pm
Rebar
October 25th, 2012
4:51 pm
Hey, DownInAlbany, Kiss my grits! There are plenty of liberals serving in our armed forces; quit trying to make this a partisan issue!
Heck, it’s all partisan on here, right?
Brosephus™
October 25th, 2012
4:57 pm
josef
That’s why it’s a lose/lose situation regardless of who’s at 1600 Pennsylvania.
TaxPayer
October 25th, 2012
4:58 pm
Scout continues to evade the fact that it is the Republican Party, his party (of Antiqued Whites), that refuses to pass legislation to help our veterans. Scout and his party treat our veterans like Hessians — they’ve been paid and discarded.
DownInAlbany
October 25th, 2012
4:58 pm
USMC
October 25th, 2012
4:54 pm
“Hey, DownInAlbany, Kiss my grits! There are plenty of liberals serving in our armed forces; quit trying to make this a partisan issue!”–Rebar
Okay Flo!
Somehow, I don’t think “grits” is the word that he actually wanted to use!
USMC
October 25th, 2012
4:58 pm
“My 4:52 got thrown into moderation…obviously the blue nose is either at AIS or a petite bourgeoise!”–josef
Now Josef, Jay and I have warned you before about those RISQUE posts of yours!
josef
October 25th, 2012
4:58 pm
IMAM
When you check in, take a look at that @ 4:52…that’s one for the books, eh?