THE HILL: Whistle-blower: Special forces could have saved Americans in Benghazi.

U.S. special operations forces in Libya could have saved Americans killed in the attack last Sept. 11 on the consulate in Benghazi but were told to stand down, a State Department whistle-blower has told congressional investigators.

The testimony by Gregory Hicks, who will appear before a House panel on Wednesday, contradicts previous testimony by administration officials who have said all U.S. forces in Libya were deployed the night of the attack.
Hicks was in Tripoli during the attack and became the top U.S. diplomat in Libya when Ambassador Christopher Stevens was killed.

He said the special operations team was ready to fly after Stevens was killed but before a second attack killed two other Americans.

After Libya’s prime minister called to tell him Stevens had died, Hicks said: “The Libyan military agreed to fly their C-130 to Benghazi and carry additional personnel to Benghazi as reinforcements.”

But as the special operations team headed to the airport, Hicks said, they got a phone call from Special Operations Command Africa saying, “you can’t go now; you don’t have authority to go now.”

The C-130 ended up leaving after the attack was over and the four Americans were dead.

Disgraceful. And filmmaker Nakoula, whose YouTube video served as the basis for a lame cover story that no one believes any more, is still in jail.

UPDATE: Reader Richard Whitten writes: “How long before Obama Administration throws Hillary under the bus? They seem to have a penchant for doing that.” Right now, protecting her for 2016 is a priority, but if she looks like damaged goods they’ll sacrifice her pretty fast.