The Wreckage of Benghazi
But some things are already clear, and one of them is that for more than three weeks following the attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi — that makes it an attack on U.S. soil — the U.S. government was either unwilling or unable to reach and secure the site. I would wager that this, in itself, is a matter of some interest in places where people hostile to the U.S.and its interests – observers ranging from terrorists to opportunistic regimes such as China and Russia — are trying to gauge the strength, reach and backbone of America. By leaving the wreckage in Benghazi so long unattended, Washington flashes a signal of extraordinary weakness.
An AP dispatch on Thursday’s FBI visit to Benghazi reported that according to the Pentagon — which provided air transport and protection for the investigators — the request for these arrangements came only several days ago, and “it took a few days to get authorization from the Libyan government and to make other necessary arrangements.”
Yes, it is vital in sending investigators to Benghazi to provide enough security so that they themselves are not in serious danger. No question that Libya right now is a complex and dangerous scene. But for America, with all its might and resources, should that require a span of more than three weeks?
Libya is a country that America, albeit “leading from behind,” helped liberate from its monstrous dictator. Some Libyans found the courage after the Sept.11 attacks to demonstrate against the attackers. Libya’s president, Mohamed Al-Megarief, was just in New York at the United Nations General Assembly last week, enjoying U.S. hospitality and security while U.S. investigators were still waiting for access to the wrecked and looted consulate in Benghazi. Was there really no way to get there sooner, or at the very least, better secure the site? Whatever the explanations, the wreckage of an American diplomatic post, hit by terrorists and then abandoned for weeks to scavengers, is a potent symbol of declining will and power — and an invitation to the next attack.
What "leading from behind" looks like in real life.
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Shutterstock image via Catalin Petolea
The story gets ever more complicated.
Today report is that Turkey has arrested two people thought directly related to the Benghazi attack. The two were Tunesians trying to travel on false passports. So this was not just some local group out to kill Americans. This is an international terror group.
It’s time for us to take a scorched earth policy at every US outpost that cannot be secured.
In answer to the article question; Who would volunteer to be a human sacrifice?
The individuals with the expertise to accomplish the task don’t consider themselves expendable.
A company of Marines could easily provide ample security and deterrence. There are assets in the area. This does not arise from a “Lead from Behind,” mind set, but from a “Lead from the Bunker,” mentality.
I would take issue with the term “killed”
I think we should describe this as the murder of 4 Americans.
This may seem a bit over the top, but:
This administration DOES NOT CARE about what happened. Just like fast and furious, what happened in Benghazi is just “something” they need to handle.
Nobody in this administration is ever responsible for anything ( ala IMF’s Corzine)
They turned a blind eye to the increasing onslaught of violence in that region and failed to protect Americans and American property.
This administration ALLOWED this ACT of TERRORISM to occur.
you’re absolutley positive, then, that Mr. Obama didn’t aid and abet by pulling security out in the first place, because he knew in advance what had been planned by his Muslim brothers?
Greetings:
My take on Muslim gratitude is that it’s like a MIssouri-Warhol River; a verbal mile wide, an actual inch deep, and flowing for about 15 minutes.
The Koran itself is pretty specific, in that quaint Muslim way, about whom members of the ummah should have as their friends.
When a leadership stinks from the head up, it is impossible to make rational decisions based on nation-saving prescriptions.
Therefore, the insane babblings about ‘the video’, as if ANY video can span such barbarism. In this regard, they could have said, ‘the devil made them do it’, and it would have been just as credible. Or, ‘animals howling at the moon’ made them go jihad-crazy.
Nonsensical hogwash was proffered by government poohbahs.
The point being, it is impossible for a leftist/Islamist leaning POTUS to secure American interests, from beginning to end.Thus, the embassy is left without protection, and then the aftermath is akin to keystone cops playing professional law enforcement personnel. And, that is being complimentary!
http://adinakutnicki.com/2012/09/26/unraveling-the-video-the-so-called-triggerfuse-of-libyan-egyptian-islamic-rage-sweeping-the-globe-northeast-intelligence-network-walid-shoebat-too-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/, and a follow commentary will be released tomorrow.
When seconds count, the FBI is only three weeks away.
Give ‘em a break. It’s not like it was something serious like a parole violation.
Perfect !
Why did it take more than three weeks for U.S. investigators to reach the scene?
Priceline.com, go ahead try to book a direct flight to Benghazi for tomorrow at an affordable price.
That would be funny, except for the dead Americans.
Indeed.
The successful Bin Laden raid should serve as a template for quick military response to secure classified and sensitive documents from a ravaged embassy/consulat. Get in quickly (on the ground for 45 minutes) before a local force can organize and respond. CNN and the Washington Post performed a valuable journalist serivice while our government failed to appreiciate the seriousness of the lost intelligence scattered about the compound.
Always annoying to see all the errors in comments dashed off in anger. Here’s the edited version:
our comment is awaiting moderation.
When the president is an empty suit, the generals are empty uniforms. Where’s the surprise?
The incredible failures in intelligence, security and response before, during and after the Benghazi attack all flow from the Commander in Chief’s stated beliefs and policies.
However, the cockup piled on cockup by the Department of State and the Pentagon merely represent the Chief Executive’s callowness, fecklessness and incompetence. The tardiness of Eric Holder’s FBI to get to the site and pursue an investigation aimed at unraveling the multiple cockups and make some sense of the affair for the Congress and the public is cynically deliberate. Likewise lack of interest in the scandal by MSM.
We live in scoundrel times. Richard Nixon merely attempted to steal an election. He was stopped by the press. This time around, the press is enthusiastically complicit in the theft.
WTF – Did Nixon try to steal an election?
Not stealing, literally. He did try to cheat. It’s known as the Watergate Scandal. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?
Nixon won the 1972 election by a landslike and then was hounded out of office by a corrupt Liberal/Democrat media. No one has ever really explained what watergate was about or what was sought there; very curious. Yet the Press, Americanized Academic and the bien pensants had their guys to set fire to.
As Obama’s cover story comes down, the curtain goes up on the USAO’s cover-up of J.J., Jr.’s role in the Blago story
http://illinoispaytoplay.com/2012/10/05/as-obamas-cover-story-comes-down-the-curtain-goes-up-on-the-usaos-cover-up-of-j-j-jr-s-role-in-the-blago-story/
Q: Why was security so light, given the cascade of attacks and threats that preceded the Sept. 11 onslaught?
A: When you ask for greater security and you get jokes about moats and alligators ON YOUR OWN BORDERS, it’s probably a good indicator about the level of seriousness protecting Americans gets from The Jewel of Jakarta.
Q Why did the Obama administration go to such lengths early on to portray the attacks as “spontaneous”?
A:To ward off the notion that they were unprepared for any uprising in Geneva when the movie trailer, Frankenweenie came out.
Q: What documents might have been taken from the compound?
A: Any and all plans for a budget and the names of Harry Reid’s invisible rabbit sources.
Q: Why did it take more than three weeks for U.S. investigators to reach the scene?
A:They wanted to first send in the advance CNN crew to see if the tough, brave fighters would fall to their knees and surrender, weeping.
Q: For that matter, since the FBI team reportedly spent only about 12 hours on the ground in Benghazi, how much is being done to find out exactly what happened?
A:Yeah, well…do you know what the altitude is in Benghazi? And, you say that this administration didn’t show up for three weeks and then say CNN and The Washington Post were there picking up documents, make up your mind, will ya? And, and…Executive Privilege!
They didn’t want anyone to know about THIS: http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/05/the-rape-of-americas-ambassador-to-libya/
And in addition, it has come to light thsat Stevens had requested the availability of an aircraft at a nearby airfield, should abandoning the Embassy become necessary. The State Department management said “no, it isn’t required.”
The wreckage of America.
After the disaster in Benghazi, the waste of those two brave ex SEALs and the cynical disrespect for their deaths by the White House; would it be a surprise to see the following news item:
“Sensing weakness, Liechtenstein has announced plans to extend its territory by invading the U.S. They figure it will take three weeks before the FBI notices the invasion. By then they believe all 50 members of the victorious Liechtenstein Light Calvary will be picketing their horses on the White House Lawn. The reason for such hasty action by Liechtenstein is fear of a competing invasion of the U.S. by the Most Serene Republic of San Marino.”
Good! One!, Thanks!
Before you find a solution, you have to have the correct definition of the problem. The problem with the assassination of our ambassador is not violent crime. It’s a clueless administration whose security posture is weak and personality driven, mostly by the wrong personality to deal with the hard realities of terrorism and what it takes to respond to and prevent terrorism. As long as we have the current administration and the limp posture it cultivates, Americans will die.
There were no Marines assigned as security to either the Embassy in Tripoli nor to the Consulate in Benghazi. The Marines now in Tripoli are part of a “rapid reaction” force and not a normal “Marine Security Guard” detachment.
The most sensitive information and equipment in any U.S. Embassy and/or Consulate/Consulate General is the communications unit. My question is, “Did the people assigned to both the Consulate and the “safe house” have an opportunity to destroy that equipment? Will the Administration claim either that they did destroy it or were able to “take it with them at the time of evacuation?” Will Congress ask the question?
The important question that nobody in Washington still is NOT answering is this: If Benghazi was so dangerous and so overrun with al Qaeda jihadits and militiamen, then what in God’s name was our ambassador doing un such an undefended location in the first place? Why was he even there? Why was he not safely back at the American embassy in Tripoli? Nobody is answering this question and nobody seems to care. We are just told that the ambassador was “there,” with no American protection, on of all days the anniversary of 9/11. Did somebody set this man up? Was he lured to Benghazi for some reason and then killed once he got there? These are critical questions that need to be answered before we lose any more people in that country.
Re:
That Benghazi Stench:
Let’s hope that this Congressional investigation, or whatever it’ll be called, at least asks this pointed question:
“Why was it that salivating CNN and the intrepid Washington Post with a “translator” were granted pretty prompt entry to Libya and access to the Consulate destruction….and it took weeks for our accredited United States Government personnel to obtain the same entry?”
Elsewhere, it was mentioned that a State Department spokes-”person” said that the nearest US Military Base was on Sicily (I think it was) some 450 miles away and that it’d take 4-5 hours to get aircraft across to Benghazi. Yes.
In a ‘comment’ below that article I said that as a former USAF Radar Intercept Controller/”scrambler” of F86D’s in 1955-57….that’s not a typo….that that was BullS**t; that depending upon the alert status of that particular airbase or facility…..that aircraft could’ve been routinely “scrambled” and airborne, and en route, within three minutes or less, and that crossing the 500 miles of airspace is “nothing” with today’s performance norms.
So….what’s going on here?
Alice said something about it “being curious-er and curious-er”.
Frankly, Dear Readers, we Americans have got one helluva situation here with our Miss Hilary, Miss Valerie and Miss Janet in such whispering-near positions of the Big O’s ears and Pinocchio nose, and his Muslim heritage.
Again…..what’s going on here?
heck with the “nearest U.S. military base”, where was the nearest U.S. Naval group? The Sixth Fleet couldn’t have been that far away!
“the ruined consulate . . .the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi”
There is no US consulate in Benghazi, which is why State didn’t care about security. It was probably, more than anything, a CIA nest with a dozen agents. (Ineffective, of course.) Why should State provide security for CIA? Besides, the Agency like to keep a low profile.
The US does not have an embassy, a consulate or a diplomatic mission in Benghazi. There are none listed on this State Department list of all the US embassies and consulates in the world.
http://www.usembassy.gov/
On September 12, 2012, SecState Clinton made two statements. She never used the word “consulate.”To describe the place that was attacked in Benghazi she used instead the words ‘U.S. diplomatic post, compound, our buildings and our office.’
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/09/197654.htm
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/09/197630.htm
I don’t understand why the FBI is the agency investigating this. I was always under the impression that domesic intelligence was the purview of the FBI; overseas was that of the CIA. Anyone know? Seems weird that the intelligence agency that had no one on the ground should defer to that which had lots of people on site…..?????
They wanted to make sure there was no incriminating evidence left for FBI to find!
The rape thing is too much for Obama if people see this picture: http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/05/the-rape-of-americas-ambassador-to-libya/
Think of the potential political fall out of THIS!!!! Cover up!
I am beginning to think there is something unsavory involving the CIA here. Why would the FBI be doing the investigation? We have all read enough spy thrillers (think David Ignatius) to know that whenever anything like this happens, a SWAT team goes in and cleans everything up STAT. Not this time? Weirder and weirder. I heard on the tube tonight that the reason it took the FBI to get to Benghazi (I think they arrived Oct 3; the murders were Sept 11) was because it TOOK A LONG TIME FOR THEM TO GET VISAS!!! Give me a *$&@@$U&ing break!
The only thing the Obama administration cares about is winning re-election so the “fundamental transformation” of the United States into a super-sized version of Argentina in 2001 can be completed.
Remember – According to Obama anything that refutes the naritive is illegitimate and is not worthy of notice.
First, on why FBI, you all are forgetting Khobar Towers, USS Cole as well as Kenyan & Nairobi embassy attacks. Those were all investigated by FBI as they were attacks on US citizens essentially & legally on “US soil” as repeatedly pointed out. This makes it a federal crime under FBI jurisdiction.
Second, I am most interested in two aspects: 1) pre-9/11 anniversary, Muhammed Zawahiri, brother of Ayman al Zawahiri & recently released detainee of Egypt, gave an interview with BBC where he gave the usual #AQ “peace offer” of “surrender or die”. M. Zawahiri alleged that he was not acting in any official capacity of representing AQ.
WHO in CIA or NSA actually believed that BS? AQ standard procedure is to offer “peace” right before major attacks (See London 7/7 & Madrid 3/11, etc). AQ also likes it’s “significant historical dates” (like 9/11, etc).
MY question is why was this dismissed or totally ignored in factoring particular security risks Anywhere for US assets & determining security measures?
2) Has the administrations lead, that AQ central is all but dead & ineffective, broken our over all ability to analyze intel data effectively? Did this actual, ignorant line of thought or comprehension, overtake our intel & security agencies?
YES, branches of AQ have sprong up all over & often act independently in lower level planning & small scale attacks, but AQ Central & Ayman Zawahiri still manage the “major attacks” vis-a-vis overall strategic programs (ie, major attacks on Western assets) & manage the message (ie, planning specific attacks for significant dates & assets/interests; US Libya support & coordination of democratic govt).
We killed bin Laden. So freaking what! He hadn’t effectively been the leader of AQ since late 2004 or early 2005. Zawahiri called the shots there as evidenced by his many communications with Zarqawi. Including his last trade of shots @ Zarqawi for effectively alienating the people he should have had best alliance with (Sunni in al Anbar).
Zawahiri told him he was ruining the brand name & taking all the funds for AQ central to Iraq. Zarqawi basically told Z he was an old man, far away from the fight & he could shut up. Within 3 mos, Zarqawi was dead after we “dusted” a courier from Zawihiri and followed him straight to Zarqawi. Same process we used to get bin Laden.
Coincidence that anyone who pisses off Zawahiri suddenly ends up found & dead? Maybe, but point is, soon as Zarqawi was dead AQ in Iraq was suddenly following Zawhiri’s suggestion to move assets to the “Levant” (Lebanon, Jordan, Palestinian territories & Egypt). SOON as bin Laden is dead, AQ in Iraq first to declare Zawahiri as leader of greater AQ and others followed suit.
WE only chopped off the figurative head of AQ, not the strategic and ideological head. We ignore that now at our own peril.
WE ignored priot to 9/11 embassy attacks because, despite any intel to the contrary, AQ as umbrella group is dead, per current NSA advisers writing intel briefs. We are not at war on terror, militant Islamists or whatever. Disregard the multitude of organizations calling themselves AQ because that is just favorite brand name. Like Prada for Jihadi.
While we are at it, disregard intel that all of those AQ organizations actually ask for permission & acceptance from Zawahiri. DEFINITELY disregard Zawahiri’s brother Muhammed’s “peace offer” /threat / warning prior to historical date. BECAUSE if we don’t disregard it, administration’s story about a nearly dead organization & war winding down on back of Arab Spring democracy, might get destroyed.
COMING SOON: you know AQ in Iraq, AQ in Arabian Peninsula & AQ in Maghreb. Stay tuned for AQ in the Levant.
[F]or more than three weeks following the attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi — that makes it an attack on U.S. soil — the U.S. government was either unwilling or unable to reach and secure the site… By leaving the wreckage in Benghazi so long unattended, Washington flashes a signal of extraordinary weakness.
Where the hell is Romney’s team of slow-moving forehead slappers? Where is Mittens himself? Perhaps they hope to deal with our dead ambassador in a couple of sentences in the foreign policy bit of the debates — all tidy and shipshape, so Mr. Chairman can check the box on the To Do ahead of the next trip to the barber.
If you continue to wrestle with the idea that these people don’t have a clue, you’re in good company.
Why should the FBI even go there? No evidence left that would be admissible in a court of law. Why risk more lives for something that doesn’t matter. CNN cannot prove they found the journal there. They cannot even prove it isn’t a forgery.
The attack was an act of war, not a crime. The tough part of terrorism is that it isn’t a crime exactly since there are no laws against raping and murdering diplomats. Yet the act was performed by an NGO. A certain mindset thinks only nation states can wage war.
For those of that mindset, to recognise terrorism as an act of war would give individuals the same authority as governments. Those that favor a Statest form of government ( Liberals, Socialists, Communists, Progressives, Etc.)just cannot take that step.
So it has to be a crime to prevent their heads from exploding as they realize everything they ‘know’ is wrong. Where they bog down is when asked for the numbers of the law that was broken, they cannot provide them. Because there is no such law.
So they are firmly impaled on the horns of a mental dilemma.
That is why Liberals depend on ‘feelings’ so much. You have to when your world is based on a series of logical fallacies.
Celer, Silens, Mortalis.
• Why did it take the FBI three weeks to get to the scene of the murders in Benghazi?
What the FBI hasn’t investigated they can’t testify about to Congress before the election. Everything the Obama administration does and doesn’t do must be viewed through the prism of the upcoming election. The lives of a few Americans, even the, “potent symbol of declining will and power” of America are as nothing to the Obamabots next to the importance of the reelection of BHO.
Why is the FBI there at all?
This was an act of war. Why aren’t soldiers there? Why didn’t we send a few missiles to Benghazi?
This is ridiculous.