Now I was only a LT for 5 years active duty in NavSpecWar, but it was imprinted deeply upon my brain that ONLY the POTUS can give cross-border permission. Probably a million living ex-military officers know this like they know 2+2=4. This Benghazi fiasco is Obama’s baby 100% and there is no way for him to wiggle out.
The system is designed to ENSURE that when a crisis is happening, (and a missing ambassador with a consulate under attack is “Crisis Level Infinity”), and military assets are already charging in to the rescue, the president must be in the loop to grant the the cross-border authorization. Nobody else can do this. This one formality must be followed, “just put your intitials here, Mr. President, for history,” so to speak. Boiler plate, but it must be done.
(Can you imagine Reagan or either Bush saying “No. Cross border permission not granted. Stop the rescue. Stand down.”)
The POTUS has to tell the Sec. State and JCS, “Yes, do it, execute the rescue, cross the borders.” Then it WILL happen, without delay, since the military is already on the way, flying in from all directions toward Benghazi.
But if POTUS says at 5pm DC time, “No military action, no cross border,” and then he becomes “unavailable,” then his last standing order stands until he changes it. So if he went to bed, for example, nobody could change his standing orders.
I imagine that a lot of extreme military, CIA and State Dept. craziness was going down while Obama was sleeping. Aircraft must be told proceed, or return to base, or they fall from the sky. I imagine many HEATED arguments around the globe on phone, text and email, subject, “Well wake the damn president up!” Followed by, “I can’t! You MUST stand down the mission!”
Just imagine dozens of inbound planes, jets and helos. Ships moving at full speed into position to be “lilypads” for long-range over-water helo refueling. Airborne refueling tankers all head to the area. It’s a complicated ballet. The Pentagon is wide awake, the military is on full alert. The rescue is in process, from the first minutes after the alarm.
Everybody in all the planes and involved HQs knows how many minutes/miles to the Libyan border, Benghazi, and their “bingo fuel” moment, when they must turn around or run dry and crash. Ships can “loiter,” but planes fall from the sky.
So you can imagine why General Ham of Africom was relieved for refusing to stand down. He probably KNEW Obama was “unavailable,” and was screaming over the phone, “Well, wake him up, dammit!!”
Planes and jets and helicopters and ships and commando teams are zooming all around the central Med, keying in on Benghazi——
And in that environment, OBAMA WAS ASLEEP AND UNREACHABLE!!!!!
Resting up for Las Vegas! With a MISSING AMBASSADOR, in Al-Queadatown!
This military process is logical and easy to understand (yes, a POTUS with 7th grade math ability should be able to comprehend this process thoroughly in minimum time). It annoys me to no end that FOX keeps repeating that the CIA, the DOD and State Department did not deny military action. Why the heck don't they just state, “...cross-border permission can only be given by the POTUS. It is unclear if Obama gave that permission.”?
To me--that is PROOF he was present when these requests were made--or was at least notified of them having been made--IN REAL TIME!
SO--if he knew about them, and did NOT deny them, the only other thing he could have done was--IGNORE THEM!
And I think that is EXACTLY what he did--right after giving the order to "stand down" General Ham.
Then--he could go to bed, sleep well while the fire-fight at the Consulate was going on, get up and go campaign in Nevada, and complain about having "a tough day".
But Nixon sent John Kerry into Cambodia in December 1968 when he was only President-Elect! Kerry said so.
But if POTUS says at 5pm DC time, “No military action, no cross border,” and then he becomes “unavailable,” then his last standing order stands until he changes it. So if he went to bed, for example, nobody could change his standing orders.
I imagine that a lot of extreme military, CIA and State Dept. craziness was going down while Obama was sleeping. Aircraft must be told proceed, or return to base, or they fall from the sky. I imagine many HEATED arguments around the globe on phone, text and email, subject, “Well wake the damn president up!” Followed by, “I can’t! You MUST stand down the mission!”
Kind of reminds me of D-Day no one was to wake the Fuhrer. Even though the Armor was needed in Normandy. Funny how two dictators both have people acting the same way when their is a emergency and their people are being killed.
Like no cross border into Pakistan to get Bin Lauden. Obama did not order that....Panetta did. The cowardice to obama knows no limits.