Emails show White House knew of terrorists’ Benghazi claim within two hours. So why blame a video for two weeks?
The Obama administration/campaign’s story about what happened in Benghazi on Sept. 11 keeps having run-ins with the facts. The latest comes from Reuters:
Officials at the White House and State Department were advised two hours after attackers assaulted the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 that an Islamic militant group had claimed credit for the attack, official emails show.
The emails, obtained by Reuters from government sources not connected with U.S. spy agencies or the State Department and who requested anonymity, specifically mention that the Libyan group called Ansar al-Sharia had asserted responsibility for the attacks.
The brief emails also show how U.S. diplomats described the attack, even as it was still under way, to Washington.
U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the Benghazi assault, which President Barack Obama and other U.S. officials ultimately acknowledged was a “terrorist” attack carried out by militants with suspected links to al Qaeda affiliates or sympathizers.
Administration spokesmen, including White House spokesman Jay Carney, citing an unclassified assessment prepared by the CIA, maintained for days that the attacks likely were a spontaneous protest against an anti-Muslim film.
The story goes on to say officials referred to evidence that the violence “erupted spontaneously” — an apparent reference to the alleged protests about an alleged anti-Muslim video. But as we now know, there was no protest leading up to the attacks on the consulate, so it’s hard to understand what sort of evidence they could have been describing. A claim of responsibility by an al-Qaida affiliate, on the other hand, would seem to have been sufficient evidence not to frame the issue even once as a matter of First Amendment freedoms gone wrong.
Unless, of course, one happened to be running for re-election and basing one’s pitch to voters in large part on the idea that al-Qaida is on its way to defeat.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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382 comments Add your comment
Vote Democrat,,,Beats Using Your Brain
October 24th, 2012
12:40 pm
This is an absolute loser for the Libs and their Messiah. It is rather fun to watch them lie, deflect and obfuscate. Guess they learned from the best.
getalife
October 24th, 2012
12:41 pm
You and your ilk owe our President an apology Kyle.
mitt was smart enough to stop but you just had to get our President didn’t you?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 24th, 2012
12:42 pm
Help was nearby.
Too bad the only person that could authorize it was sleeping at the time.
Just Saying..
October 24th, 2012
12:42 pm
“…don’t cover it up when you event does occur. As Herman Cain says…”
All those women are lying.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 24th, 2012
12:43 pm
After all, one needs one’s beauty sleep in order to look good for the minions in Las Vegas . . .
Kyle Wingfield
October 24th, 2012
12:43 pm
MarkV @ 12:32: Yep, that’s what she said — immediately after she said this at the beginning of the interview:
GREGORY: The images as you well know are jarring to Americans watching all of this play out this week, and we’ll share the map of all of this turmoil with our viewers to show the scale of it across not just the Arab world, but the entire Islamic world and flashpoints as well. In Egypt, of course, the protests outside the U.S. embassy there that Egyptian officials were slow to put down. This weekend in Pakistan, protests as well there. More anti-American rage. Also protests against the drone strikes. In Yemen, you also had arrests and some deaths outside of our U.S. embassy there. How much longer can Americans expect to see these troubling images and these protests go forward?
MS. RICE: Well, David, we can’t predict with any certainty. But let’s remember what has transpired over the last several days. This is a response to a hateful and offensive video that was widely disseminated throughout the Arab and Muslim world. Obviously, our view is that there is absolutely no excuse for violence and that– what has happened is condemnable, but this is a– a spontaneous reaction to a video, and it’s not dissimilar but, perhaps, on a slightly larger scale than what we have seen in the past with The Satanic Verses with the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Now, the United States has made very clear and the president has been very plain that our top priority is the protection of American personnel in our facilities and bringing to justice those who…
GREGORY: All right.
MS. RICE: …attacked our facility in Benghazi.
Emphasis added. I won’t bother asking about your hearing or reading abilities.
Joe The Plumber Too
October 24th, 2012
12:43 pm
getalife, can’t wait to see your lack of posts November 7th. I’m sure you will be dismantling your urkle alter……..but just think you’ll have a fresh four years to post your snide comments about how the Republicans stole the election……………
Vote Democrat,,,Beats Using Your Brain
October 24th, 2012
12:43 pm
Karen Braun, mother of 2 Marines, on Twitter: ‘Amb Stevens would have loved a horse or a bayonette or Marine with either,’ How can you vote for a man that doesn’t protect Americans and then lies about it? It is very important.
Bob
October 24th, 2012
12:44 pm
JDW, we were told that a demonstration turned into mob action. Video clearly shows that no demonstration had occurred. You can believe that story if you want but save yourself some time by trying to get people to defend that lie.
waterstim
October 24th, 2012
12:44 pm
Maybe you should ask Jay Bookman. He seems to have all the rationalizations.
Just Saying..
October 24th, 2012
12:44 pm
“…lie, deflect and obfuscate. Guess they learned from the best.”
Because “nobody expected those levees to fail”…
RW-(the original)
October 24th, 2012
12:45 pm
however facts are facts
Why yes I see it all clearly now. 3 days after our Consulate is sacked and four Americna are brutally murdered the White House press corps is only discussing the other events with the Mouthpiece-in-Chief.
You lib parrots really crack me up
getalife
October 24th, 2012
12:45 pm
joey,
If mitt wins I will be organizing for a total collapse and will not be posting.
I don’t expect a different result from the gop.
Vote Democrat,,,Beats Using Your Brain
October 24th, 2012
12:46 pm
Obama owes Amb Stevens, several Marines and a whole country an apology for the way HIS Administration has handled this. I know he knows how to apologize because I saw him do it to his Muslim buddies continually throughout his Presidency.
Kyle Wingfield
October 24th, 2012
12:47 pm
It was also lovely of you, MarkV @ 12:32, to put an ellipsis in place of these words Rice spoke:
“But putting together the best information that we have available to us today our current assessment is that what happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of– of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video. What we think then transpired in Benghazi is that opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. They came with heavy weapons which unfortunately are readily available in post revolutionary Libya. And it escalated into a much more violent episode. Obviously, that’s– that’s our best judgment now. We’ll await the results of the investigation.”
Emphasis to denote the 95 words you left out with your ellipsis.
cc
October 24th, 2012
12:47 pm
“cons want to get our President instead of the terrorists.”
You always deal with the most immediate threat to national security first.
getalife
October 24th, 2012
12:48 pm
cc,
Thanks for proving my point terrorist lover.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 24th, 2012
12:48 pm
Kyle, don’t try to confuse MarkV with the totality of any argument.
He’s stuck on bumper sticker-sized sound bites.
Joe The Plumber Too
October 24th, 2012
12:49 pm
Gotta run and make a little more money to put away. Man the knapsack is getting full, can’t wait until Jan. 21 so I can start investing again. Fellow Republicans, don’t damage the little libs too bad, we need some left to wait our tables next year.
hsn
October 24th, 2012
12:49 pm
MarkV
October 24th, 2012
12:32 pm
Kyle Wingfield @12:08 pm
“If the situation was so unclear that the administration needed time to sort through, why didn’t its spokespeople just say that?”
Meet the Press, September 16
MS. RICE: “Well, let us– let me tell you the– the best information we have at present. First of all, there’s an FBI investigation which is ongoing. And we look to that investigation to give us the definitive word as to what transpired. But putting together the best information …… Obviously, that’s– that’s our best judgment now. We’ll await the results of the investigation.”
Can’t you listen or read, Kyle?
====================================================================
Mark,
Why waste your time on a foolish hitpiece aimed at politicizing a tragic event and furthering the GOP’s disgraceful agenda?
Kyle and his ilk are the same people who never uttered a word when a war based on LIES in Iraq, killed 4000 members of our troops, and about 100,000 Iraqis. But hey, no problem. Their answer is “Bush is not in office anymore.” That ought to make everything “great” now.
In past years, when Americans have been killed in our embassies overseas under Reagan and Bush, the Democrats rallied around the Republicans Presidents in national solidarity to ensure it doesn’t happen again. However,under a Dem Prez, the Republicans can’t muster the decency to return the same patriotic gesture they received from the Dems under similar circumstances.
Instead, they can’t stop themselves from salivating in attacking the President. Had the shoe been on the other foot, these SAME critics will be calling the Dems “Anti-American” for criticizing a “War-Time” president.
Kyle Wingfield is not only a hack partisan Republican cheerleader, he is a complete fool masquerading as an “objective journalist.”
Now, go ahead and ban me, Kyle.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 24th, 2012
12:50 pm
cc @ 12:47?
Best response of the WEEK!
JDW
October 24th, 2012
12:50 pm
@Bruno…I don’t recall Obama apologizing for the video. What he actually said was “The U.S. rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others” and yes I agree with that.
As for the harassment of the filmmaker…not sure what you are referring to…it seems he had some legal issues of his own already and they should be pursued. If private parties have harassed him they should not, however it seems that one should expect it in such cases.
As for what I said then…it was:
“There is nothing the matter with saying I condemn those words however I have to support their right to utter them. Is should be clear that the abuse is distasteful and not supported.”
Yes that is what I believe.
Kyle Wingfield
October 24th, 2012
12:51 pm
hsn @ 12:49: I’m not an objective journalist. I’m an opinion writer. And I don’t ban people for expressing their opinions.
Just Saying..
October 24th, 2012
12:52 pm
“Our military can respond within minutes…….with literal HellFire……. if some Taliban warlord threatens an opium field somewhere in Afghan or Pakistan that American soldiers are currently guarding.”
Like we did on 9/11…
getalife
October 24th, 2012
12:53 pm
Reel murkins loving them some tuurists yo git Obama.
Thomas Heyward Jr.
October 24th, 2012
12:53 pm
Kyle Wingfield
October 24th, 2012
12:39 pm
Thomas @ 12:37: Perhaps you’ve read this. Or perhaps you’d like to. It raises some of the same questions you did.
—————————————————————————————————————————-
.
Ron Paul and ou forfathers tried to warn you people.
.
Considering 9-11…….it makes no difference what wing of the R&D Washigton party is involved.
Revenge is cold comfort for the dead.
.
Peaceful free trade with all……..tangling alliances with none.
One day…….as you are eating out of a trashcan or bleeding out in a fox-hole…….you Neo-Cons will understand.
Just Saying..
October 24th, 2012
12:54 pm
“After all, one needs one’s beauty sleep in order to look good for the minions in Las Vegas . . .”
Then Sheldon Adelson desperately needs some sleep…
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 24th, 2012
12:54 pm
“In past years, when Americans have been killed in our embassies overseas under Reagan and Bush, the Democrats rallied around the Republicans Presidents in national solidarity to ensure it doesn’t happen again. However,under a Dem Prez, the Republicans can’t muster the decency to return the same patriotic gesture they received from the Dems under similar circumstances. ”
Big difference, hsn, is that previous administrations didn’t try to lie about the attacks and cover up their incompetence.
THIS one did.
And got caught.
Hillbilly D
October 24th, 2012
12:56 pm
Like we did on 9/11…
They didn’t get there in time but they did at least send the fighter jets after them.
getalife
October 24th, 2012
12:57 pm
Actually. our President said “terrorist attack” and mentioned the movie the next day.
Read the transcript.
You got nothing but unpatriotic bs.
Interested Observer
October 24th, 2012
12:58 pm
Republicans were first outraged that President Obama didn’t refer to the attack as a terrorist act…but they were wrong. He did.
Then Republicans were outraged that he ever referred to this terrorist attack as a response to the video…but they wrong. Intelligence are still suggesting that the attack might have been organized and instigated as a response to the video (see my previous comments with links).
Then Republicans were outraged that administration officials, such as Susan Rice, acted as though the information they were reporting was definitive, when it wasn’t…but they were wrong. Susan Rice, for example, qualified her statements to indicate that the information was incomplete and that the investigation was ongoing (see my previous comment with transcript).
So, since we know that the Benghazi-related information that Republicans and their media representatives are reporting is actually misinformation, what am I supposed to be outraged about now?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 24th, 2012
12:58 pm
“Actually. our President said “terrorist attack” ”
No, he said “acts of terror” in the abstract, NOT in the specific.
Read the transcript.
cc
October 24th, 2012
12:59 pm
cah@12:36 pm:
“I’m wondering what the 4 victims grieving families are thinking now…..”
Their grief is certainly not diminished by their seeing their loved ones deaths downgraded from “victims” to “a bump in the road and finally to their death being “not optimal”.
In the rush for re-election and the maintaining of power, their service to our country and their deaths must be minimized by Obama and his appointed liars. It is truly a sad day for America.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
October 24th, 2012
1:01 pm
Bill Clinton warned us in 2008 about Obama, when he said something to the effect, that this Obama stuff is just one big fairy tale. Wish the Obama voters had listened.
getalife
October 24th, 2012
1:02 pm
Same thing.
You lose.
getalife
October 24th, 2012
1:03 pm
I loved the look on mitt’s face when he know he just got caught in another lie.
Interested Observer
October 24th, 2012
1:04 pm
Tiberius,
The entire speech was about the Benghazi attack…IN THE SPECIFIC
“No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done.”
Tom(Independent Viet Vet-USAF)
October 24th, 2012
1:04 pm
Anyone have any idea what Donald Trump’s big game-changer announcement tonite is? Only serious replies, no idiotic response from you, getalife. I did see your post(getalife) where you said no further postings by you if Romney wins. We will miss you, I hope(and Change too)!
cc
October 24th, 2012
1:04 pm
Tiberius:
“Best response of the WEEK!”
Thanks! It isn’t what I really wanted to say . . . but then Kyle would have to punish me!
getalife
October 24th, 2012
1:05 pm
cnn is looping the rape comment.
There goes the women vote.
mitt will not even pull the ad endorsing the con.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 24th, 2012
1:06 pm
“I’m wondering what the 4 victims grieving families are thinking now…..”
I wonder what the 3,000 9/11 victims families are thinking now? Who are they voting for?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 24th, 2012
1:06 pm
“The entire speech was about the Benghazi attack…IN THE SPECIFIC”
Nope. Read the transcript.
Then break out a dictionary.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
October 24th, 2012
1:07 pm
The Donald has already published his October surprise. Turn off the Fox News and pay attention.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 24th, 2012
1:08 pm
Tom, I’m with Kyle on the Donald Trump / Gloria Allred publicity hound thing.
Could not care less.
getalife
October 24th, 2012
1:08 pm
“I wonder what the 3,000 9/11 victims families are thinking now? Who are they voting for?”
The man that gave them closure and justice.
President Obama.
Bruno
October 24th, 2012
1:08 pm
It was also lovely of you, MarkV @ 12:32, to put an ellipsis in place of these words Rice spoke:
Kyle–To anyone but the most obstinate Obama supporters, it’s clear that the Obama Administration misled the public, whether intentionally or unintentionally, about the nature of the Libyan attack.
Rather than simply setting the public record straight, could you put the whole event into a larger perspective?? Is this a minor incident to be brushed away as several of the Libs here have suggested, or do you see these misstatements as having any long-term significance?? In other words, will anyone be talking about this 2 or 3 years from now??
MrLiberty
October 24th, 2012
1:10 pm
So why do Bush, Cheney, and most especially the idiot Gulianni continue to claim that “they hate us because we are free?” Ron Paul clearly smacked Guliani down over that one, the 9-11 commission report made it very clear that it is our foreign policy that the arabs and others hate, not america itself or our freedom, so why do NEOCONS continue to perpetuate the lie???
It is because, just like Obama, THEY are responsible for laying the foundation for the BLOWBACK and they are so morally bankrupt – just like Obama – that they cannot tell the truth.
It is better that thousands more continue to die for a lie than admit that our foreign policy of the past 60 years has been a complete and total failure. That would require them to admit that it must be changed, and the puppetmasters that pull their strings would suddenly see all of their blood money dry up. Remember, peace is not profitable – for those who profit from war.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
October 24th, 2012
1:10 pm
” In other words, will anyone be talking about this 2 or 3 years from now??”
Only in the context of determining how we got a President Romney in 2012, Bruno.
getalife
October 24th, 2012
1:12 pm
I did not know mitt testified under oath in a court case.
What was the case about?
Del
October 24th, 2012
1:12 pm
One area that the White House does have credibility concerning Benghazi and that’s its under investigation. Of course it’s not the White House directing the investigation. External sources are investigating and that investigation is showing the Obama administration and the State Department to be bold faced liars.