CONFIRMED: US Benghazi SEALs Had Laser Capability

Gateway Pundit ^ | November 4,2012 | Jim Hoft

[Hojczyk]

The US SEALs had laser capability and for 5 hours and 15 minutes were wondering when the air support would show up. But it never came.

Tyrone Woods begged for air support on 9-11 before his death. It never came. FOX News reported:

Sources who have debriefed the team that was at the CIA annex the night of the attack in Benghazi say that the CIA operators from the Global Response Staff, or GRS, were equipped with Mark 48 machine guns and had two types of laser capability. Each weapon had both a “passive” as well as a “visible” laser that could be used against the Libyan attackers.

The presence of laser capability on the roof of the CIA annex confirms what Fox News sources that night in Benghazi originally said, which is that they had laser capability and for 5 hours and 15 minutes were wondering where the usual overhead air support was, especially since, according to this source, they radioed from the annex beginning as early as midnight asking for it.

The presence of lasers raises more questions about why air support was not sent to Benghazi even protectively once it became clear that the fighting had followed the CIA rescue team back to the annex.

[TigersEye]

Predator 1 video 9:18

Watch that nine minute video on the Predator drone. Laser sighting on the ground is unnecessary. It is designed for urban strikes with the capability of hitting a target as small as a truck. It has optical capabilities that allow it to see individual people from five miles up. It can see if they have rifles or rocket tubes in their hands. It sees at night with infrared.

All of those same sighting and munitions capabilities are used on AC-130 gunships and Apache attack helicopters. All of those vehicles are able to lay down precision fire without anyone on the ground lazing targets. All of those excuses are utter BS!

[az_gila]

FOX News is reporting that there was GLD in Benghazi. These machine gun lasers are just being thrown out so the Democrats can say,”Well, you can’t guide bombs in with those lasers.” But you can with a GLD. The GLD shows Panetta is telling a lie when he says they couldn’t send aircraft to bomb the attackers because they were afraid of “collateral damage” (bombs killing innocent civilians or damaging their property). With a GLD they could have dropped laser-guided bombs within a few feet of the attackers that the GLD was pointed at. They could have sent jets to help save the 30 Americans under attack in Benghazi. There is no other excuse but that our President Obama didn’t want to send military rescue. Why?

---

Even if the laser was a “dumb” laser it could be used for targeting a Predator.

The GLD is a designator and would guide a missile/bomb to a target. The Predator has enough sensors on it -

http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=122

- that it could pick up where the dumb laser was pointing and use it to target it's weapons. When a target is identified, the Predator can use it's own designator to guide the Hellfire missiles.

A GLD would be nice, but probably not essential, to getting a pinpoint attack.

[Charles Martel]

Initial reports were that he was painting the targets. It would be something like this...

There are compact laser rangefinders / target designators that are designed to mount on one of the many accessory rails on the Mk 48 machine gun.

[fudimo]

Here is an updated timeline of the events in Benghazi.

http://wecheck.org/wiki/Benghazi_Attack_Timeline

[no-to-illegals]

Why not fire on the targets? Did ROE prevent engagement?
Congress asks not? If not now, when?
One would think the drive-bys would want to know?
Unless as has been said, it does not fit the template.
Guess we should just believe all not asking why
have our best interests there in play for us.
Where does one go if what one believes does not fit the template?
An apology TigersEye, am simply frustrated coverage
has not broken forth in full force.

[FreeAtlanta]

I still don’t understand why we didn’t at least have some jets fly over at 100 feet and 1,000 mph to force the muzzies to be more cautious, maybe disperse and to show our guys that we had their backs.

I despise this worthless administration.

[blueunicorn6]

Yep. Good point.

[TigersEye]

Fire with what? That's the question. The PTB have admitted that there were two drones overhead but have not said whether or not they were armed. They have said that nothing else was in the air and from all we know from other sources that would seem to be true. No rescue was sent.

Only the POTUS had the authority to act!

[TigersEye]

Heads up to everyone.

I tweeted @AmbJohnBolton, he is going to be on FOX at 1210 eastern to talk about Benghazi. I hope he brings up CBA.

That is on right about NOW!

[DuncanWaring]

Libyan authorities have not given the U.S. military permission to fly armed drones over populated areas like Benghazi.

Did "Libyan authorities" give permission for NATO to provide air support to the rebels when Khadaffi was in power?

I didn't think so.

[blueunicorn6]

Yep. Good point. I never worked with drones. I was always taught “to keep eyes on the target”. I guess what I’m trying to get across is that Panetta is telling a lie. We obviously had intell on what was happening and could have put a lot of steel where the enemy was located with a minimal chance of harming non-combatants. They are really trying to cover this up and what I didn’t want was Panetta saying tomorrow that, “Gee, those lasers were just to help aim the machine guns on the ground.”

[Iron Munro]

We have been reading of the laser for about six weeks now.

[FreeAtlanta]

Where are out nearest Predator bases near or in Libya?

The silly argument by the Obama butt kissing media that we couldn't get and armed response to help our men is preposterous.

[blueunicorn6]

Thanks.

[no-to-illegals]

Only the POTUS had the authority to act!

and why zer0 didn't is what has me most disturbed!

ROEs ... DANG THEM (sorry FReepers) DANG THEM ALL!
Four died. Many others have died! These ROEs are
killing our People, our Military People, and the
drive-bys will not commit a common curiosity as
asking why? What country do we live in?
What is the use of caring about our Military,
if our own government hates them.

Once more an apology TigersEye. It isn't your
fault. It is my fault. I care, and know you and all here
care too. This has become frustrating to me. Shouldn't
rant, but is not enough, enough?
Growing tired of waiting for the drive-bys!

[TigersEye]

No need to apologize. If you're not mad then you're either not paying attention or you don't care about our country. Not something you or most FReepers are guilty of. I am livid. Beyond livid.

I don't know what ROEs 0coward was enforcing. He gave CBA to get bin Laden. He gives CBA for drone strikes in populated areas of northern Pakistan. He gives CBA for drone strikes in Yemen. He gave CBA for a rescue mission in Somalia a little while back. He never asked permission from those three nations.

Here we had 41 Americans, all employed by him, under attack and he didn't give CBA for a rescue mission. It's as simple as that. He's a coward and a traitor.

[no-to-illegals]

For our media lurkers and those on board with the drive-bys ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZORUsMbXdIU&feature=related

[TigersEye]

See the video linked in post #21. Predators don’t need to have a target lazed. Neither do AC-130s or Apache helicopters.

[no-to-illegals]

Take a listen drive-bys. Why not? ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cIOH-5mQyk&feature=related

[OldMissileer]

The laser the ignorant press is talking about is an AN/PEQ15. This is a small unit mounted to the rails of an M-4 or M-16 or other battle rifle.

It has both a visible and infrared laser as well as a visible and IR flashlight and is used for close to mid distance sighting for that individual firearm. The IR laser or flashlight is used with night vision goggles for the sole purpose of aiming the rifle.

The AN/PEQ15 is not used to identify targets for missiles or bombs.