Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) turned up the heat on President Obama and intelligence officials with pointed requests about what action, if any, was taken in response to attacks against the U.S. consulate in Benghazi before the deadly Sept. 11 attack.
The consulate came under attack in April. And on June 6, an IED was detonated at the northern gate of the consulate, tearing a hole in the security perimeter “big enough for forty men to go through.”
“Mr. President, were you informed of these attacks on our Libyan consulate? If not, why not? Did you consider these serious events? If you were informed, what action was taken to protect the Consulate?” Graham wrote in a short, to-the-point letter to Obama.
Graham also sent letters to CIA Director David Petraeus, National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and Deputy National Security Advisor John Brennan.
“Did you inform the President of these attacks? If so, what action was taken to protect our Consulate? If you did not inform the President, why not?” he asked each of the men.
A single, isolated attack I don’t think warrants being brought to the attention of the president -busy man, lots of things on his plate, yada yada yada. But 200+ attacks, in a country who’s long term dictator you helped overthrow, in a volatile region of the planet, where an organization we are in a war with, and now may be getting surface to air missiles, that is being brought to the attention of the president — unless he explicitly does not want to be informed of it.
And how do you go to bed when you know your ambassador is under attack?
At the least, this is horrible management coupled with uncaringness (heck his own half brother has to ask strangers for money for his kid’s hospital bills.)
Remmeber all of the heat Reagan took when hois advisors decided not to wakr him up? Related to Libya also, if I recall. (Of course, even Thomas Jefferson had to deal with Libyan terrorists.)
It’s 3 AM, and the phone is ringing. Turns out no one was qualified to answer. Would make a great parody.
Let’s say the President didn’t know. So it simply means he’s a horrible manager. Which is his job.