Benghazi...To paraphrase the left from several years ago...

[Hellbird]

Is that what you know as 100% truth or is that what you believe?

 

The British Gov't came out and said their Intelligence office was one of the first to claim WMD's before Bush and Powell went to congress in the first place. They were using information from numerous sources. That has been documented as facts from day 1. whether or not there were WMD, there was intelligence agencies that stated there were and that is what Powell and Bush went with. Wrong or right doesn't matter, the question was whether or not the white house during Bush's term made it up or not and they clearly didn't. They may have been given false information, but they went off of the information they received.

[2 Humped Camel]

Benghazi translated; The republican party is scared crapless that Hillary is going to mop the floor with them in 2016 so they are going to scream about some phoney cover up in hopes of discrediting her.

[75center]

No doubt the Republicans are playing it for all the political drama they can. The administration handed them the opportunity though.

[Hellbird]

Benghazi translated; The republican party is scared crapless that Hillary is going to mop the floor with them in 2016 so they are going to scream about some phoney cover up in hopes of discrediting her.

Phoney coverup???? You've got to be kidding

[2 Humped Camel]

Phoney coverup???? You've got to be kidding

 

No, it's as phoney as it gets.

[Hellbird]

No, it's as phoney as it gets.

 

Hahaha, ok. Let me get this straight, see if I follow you. You are saying it was because of a video that caused all of this? You are saying there was a protest going on, even though many witnesses who were actually there said there was no protest outside the embassy.

 

Is that right?

[2 Humped Camel]

Hahaha, ok. Let me get this straight, see if I follow you. You are saying it was because of a video that caused all of this? You are saying there was a protest going on, even though many witnesses who were actually there said there was no protest outside the embassy.

 

Is that right?

 

Ha Ha Ha, so let me get this straight, after 8 months, 2 congressional hearings and an independent review you still believe that there was some deep cover up. You really shouldn't be laughing.... The video-protest angle was hashed out months ago, what else do you have besides Mr. Hick's opinion on what shoulda, woulda, coulda happened?

[75center]

Ha Ha Ha, so let me get this straight, after 8 months, 2 congressional hearings and an independent review you still believe that there was some deep cover up. You really shouldn't be laughing.... The video-protest angle was hashed out months ago, what else do you have besides Mr. Hick's opinion on what shoulda, woulda, coulda happened?

 

There are still questions people want answers to. Lisa Myers had some good ones and she certainly isn't a flag bearer for the Republicans:

 

LISA MYERS, NBC NEWS arSENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: First of all, in her Congressional testimony, which is her only sustained questioning on this subject -- in her Congressional testimony she basically tried to slam the door on any further questions by saying, remember the dramatic statement, 'what difference does it make?'

 

This reopens, I think, the questions. I don't think we know yet to what extent this does or might damage Hillary Clinton. I think the administration's biggest vulnerability here is -- first of all, how do you send diplomats into this dangerous area to facilities that do not even meet minimum security standards? How do you then reduce their level of security by taking away some of the military personnel that they had? And then, how do you, when you know these people are in trouble, not find someway to move heaven and earth to at least get help there. (Hardball, May 9, 2013)

[2 Humped Camel]

There are still questions people want answers to. Lisa Myers had some good ones and she certainly isn't a flag bearer for the Republicans:

 

LISA MYERS, NBC NEWS arSENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: First of all, in her Congressional testimony, which is her only sustained questioning on this subject -- in her Congressional testimony she basically tried to slam the door on any further questions by saying, remember the dramatic statement, 'what difference does it make?'

 

This reopens, I think, the questions. I don't think we know yet to what extent this does or might damage Hillary Clinton. I think the administration's biggest vulnerability here is -- first of all, how do you send diplomats into this dangerous area to facilities that do not even meet minimum security standards? How do you then reduce their level of security by taking away some of the military personnel that they had? And then, how do you, when you know these people are in trouble, not find someway to move heaven and earth to at least get help there. (Hardball, May 9, 2013)

 

All legitimate questions, where is the cover up?

[75center]

All legitimate questions, where is the cover up?

 

I don't know if there is a coverup.

[History]

Ha Ha Ha, so let me get this straight, after 8 months, 2 congressional hearings and an independent review you still believe that there was some deep cover up. You really shouldn't be laughing.... The video-protest angle was hashed out months ago, what else do you have besides Mr. Hick's opinion on what shoulda, woulda, coulda happened?

 

Oh Mr. Hicks who voted for Obama twice is now blasting the administration for their lies. That Mr. Hicks.

[FarBeyondDriven]

Exclusive: Benghazi Talking Points Underwent 12 Revisions, Scrubbed of Terror Reference - ABC News

[Hellbird]

Ha Ha Ha, so let me get this straight, after 8 months, 2 congressional hearings and an independent review you still believe that there was some deep cover up. You really shouldn't be laughing.... The video-protest angle was hashed out months ago, what else do you have besides Mr. Hick's opinion on what shoulda, woulda, coulda happened?

Actually, I'd love to know your take on the video protest angle. Are you now admitting they made it up? If they did make it up then why did they make it up? If it wasn't to cover up their ineptness then exactly what was it used for?

[Bluegrasscard]

There is a lot discussion of who knew what when during the attack.

 

There are many established facts at this point that certainly were not disclosed early on.

 

Of those facts here is a small list:

 

1. There was never any protest - related to or not related some youtube video. Never did anyone in Libya indicate or refer to a protest underway. The initial actions were that of assault (attack) from the very beginning.

2. Real time overhead video feed was available from a UAV (drone) no later than 2 hours into the assault (attack). Maybe earlier.

3. Military, special ops forces in Tripoli were ORDERED not to go with the State Department rescue mission organized by Hicks and those in Tripoli.

4. Military assets outside of Libya were being organized and available for response according to testimony from General Ham.

5. Military assets under command of General Ham were ORDERED to stand down.

6. To leverage the military assets outside of Libya Cross-Border Authorization (CBA) was required according to protocol.

7. Only the office of President can issue CBA.

8. CBA was never issued. This left the rescue mission solely in with the Tripoli-organized mission that lacked special ops forces that could have accompanied the mission but were ORDERED to stand down.

9. The 'story' of a protest, related to a youtube video, was created solely in Washington and had not basis on any information directly from anyone in Libya. It was CREATED after the fact.

10. The story was told and retold by numerous members of the administration. The most notable was Ms. Rice on Sunday morning talk shows. But the story was given to families of the dead when bodies were returned a few days after the attack by Ms. Clinton, Mr. Biden and others.

11. The story had no basis in facts that were known. It never had basis in any facts at any time. It was completely manufactured.

12. Had the mission from Tripoli failed there was no apparent backup plan or alternative rescue mission being organized or authorized.

13. No formal request to the new government of Libya was ever requested. Though the UAV was on-station during the incident.

 

Unless the testimony from this week is filled with lies and faleshoods by those who were on the ground and managing the situation these are now established facts.

 

Here is a link to the one of the best available strategic and tactical timelines of the events.

 

Benghazi: The Terrorist Attack of September 11, 2012 - Discover the Networks

 

Excerpts of the real time events (emphasis added):

 

* Approximately 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. Benghazi time: Ambassador Stevens concludes his meeting with Turkish Ambassador Ali Kemal Aydin, his final meeting of the day, and retires to his room in Building C of the U.S. mission compound in Benghazi. At this time, there are no signs of any unrest in the vicinity of the compound. Five State Department Diplomatic Security agents (DS) are on site—three of whom are based in Benghazi, and two of whom are travelng with Stevens.

 

* Approximately 9:40 p.m. Benghazi time: American personnel at the Benghazi mission suddenly hear gunfire and an explosion. Via an electronic security monitor in the compound's Tactical Operations Center, an agent sees dozens of armed people flooding through a pedestrian gate at the main entrance of the compound. From this point onward, State Department Diplomatic Security agents follow events in real time on a listen-only, audio-only feed.

 

* After 9:40 p.m. Benghazi time: When the mission in Benghazi issues 3 urgent requests for military back-up, the requests are denied. CIA Operators stationed at an annex approximately a mile away are told to “stand down” (i.e., not respond) rather than to try to defend the mission. Disobeying that order, former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, along with at least one other individual from the CIA annex, make their way toward the mission in an attempt to defend the people therein.

 

* 10 p.m. Benghazi time: The U.S. military redeploys two unmanned surveillance drones that are already airborne in the region, positioning them above Benghazi in order to provide real-time intelligence to the CIA team on the ground. The drones will take approximately an hour to arrive at their destination.

 

* Approximately 10:30 p.m. Benghazi time: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and his top military adviser learn of the attack in Benghazi.

 

* Approximately 11 p.m. Benghazi time (5 p.m. EST): President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary of Defense Panetta gather with their national security team in the Oval Office for a pre-scheduled meeting. With the unmanned drones now in place, live-feed video of the attack is available to the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the CIA.

 

* Between 11 p.m. and midnight Benghazi time: As evidenced by State Department emails, within two hours after the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, the State Department is fully aware that the Libyan militant group Ansar al-Sharia has already taken credit for the attack and has called for additional terrorist acts. As former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton would later explain, “What the emails show beyond any doubt is that the State Department was fully possessed of the information in real time.”

 

* Midnight to 2 a.m. Benghazi time, September 12, 2012: Defense Secretary Panetta holds a series of meetings and issues three orders: (a) He orders two Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team platoons stationed in Rota, Spain, to prepare to deploy to the U.S. mission in Benghazi and the U.S. embassy in Tripoli; (b) he orders a special operations team in Europe to move to Sigonella, Sicily—less than one hour's flight (480 miles) from Benghazi; and © he orders a U.S.-based special operations team to deploy to Sigonella as well.

 

* Approximately 12:30 a.m. Benghazi time, September 12, 2012: A six-man American Quick Reaction Force from the U.S. embassy in Tripoli, including two Defense Department personnel, head (via plane) for Benghazi.

 

* 6 a.m. Benghazi time, September 12, 2012: A team of U.S. Special Forces in Tripoli, preparing to board a C-130 to Benghazi in order to respond to the attack, is ordered to "stand down" by U.S. Special Forces Command Africa. That is, the commander of the Special Forces in Tripoli, Lt. Col. Gibson, was told he did not have the authority to send his team to Benghazi. Gibson later tells Gregory Hicks, deputy chief of mission for the U.S. in Libya: “I have never been so embarrassed in my life that a State Department officer has ..... than somebody in the military.”

 

 

The questions at this point.

 

1. Why all the 'stand down' orders when 40+ Americans and function of the State Department is under direct attack? Who gave the orders?

2. What if the 6-man Embassy unit had failed in the rescue mission? What was the alternate plan to extract 40+ Americans from an aggressive military-style attack? Where these people essentially abandoned?

3. Why was a 'protest/video' story created and propagated for days and days when there was no direct or indirect evidence of such and available information was completely counter to such a 'story'?

[cammando]

Not positive, but stand-down orders can only come from the white house.. Anyone know for sure?