Posted on 12/18/2012 6:49:57 PM PST by lbryce
WASHINGTON An independent inquiry into the attack on the United States diplomatic mission in Libya that killed four Americans on Sept. 11 sharply criticizes the State Department for a lack of seasoned security personnel and relying on untested local militias to safeguard the compound, Congressional and State Department officials said Tuesday night.
The investigation into the attacks on the diplomatic mission and C.I.A. annex that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others also faulted State Department officials in Washington for ignoring requests from officials at the American Embassy in Tripoli for more guards and safety upgrades to the diplomatic mission.
The panel also blamed the State Department for waiting for specific warnings of imminent attacks to act rather than adapting security procedures and protocols to a deteriorating security environment. By this spring, Benghazi, a hotbed of militant activity in eastern Libya, had experienced a string of assassinations and attacks, including one on a British envoys motorcade.
Finally, the report also blamed two major State Department bureaus diplomatic security and Near Eastern affairs for failing to coordinate and plan adequate security at the mission. The panel also determined that a number of officials had shown poor leadership.
In response to the panels findings, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a letter to Congress that she was accepting all 29 of the panels recommendations, several of which are classified.
Mrs. Clinton is taking specific steps to correct the problems, according to officials. They say the State Department is asking permission from Congress to transfer $1.3 billion from funds that had been allocated for spending in Iraq. This includes $553 million for additional Marine security guards; $130 million for diplomatic security personnel; and $691 million for improving security at installations abroad.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
If any can answer the following, please do do -thanks.
How many inquiries are going on? Who exactly formed and is sitting on this panel? It sounds more like a rubber stamp cover up than a fact finding inquiry.
It seems to find fault with the way the incident went down HOWEVER does not question why there was an incident -what were they doing in Benghazi?
Security in Benghazi was not recognized and implemented as a shared responsibility by the bureaus in Washington charged with supporting the post, resulting in stove-piped discussions and decisions on policy and security. That said, Embassy Tripoli did not demonstrate strong and sustained advocacy with Washington for increased security for Special Mission Benghazi. (Bold added.)
Anyone wanting on or off this ping list, please advise.
Attending Thursdays hearing instead will be Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Thomas Nides.
Hillary was not qualified for Sec. of State. She’s a walking ambition machine, nothing more. Shame on all who promote her. She female and studied with evil Alinsky. That disqualifies her from federal jobs, in my opinion.
Independent Panel determines: “Dog ate my homework” in Benghazi, and “please excuse Johnny from school today he is not feeling well”, so there is nothing to see here folks , move along now
Independent Panel determines: “Dog ate my homework” in Benghazi, and “please excuse Johnny from school today he is not feeling well”, so there is nothing to see here folks , move along now
well that may be a good thing , because anything that flew over would have been shot down by the 400 tons of surface air missles and RPGs being transferred by Stevens a few weeks earlier
http://www.examiner.com/article/was-stevens-murdered-to-coverup-u-s-gun-running-from-libya-to-alqaeda-syria
It gets interesting in the last three paragraphs.
“Mr. Stevens was making his first visit to Benghazi in 10 months. But his plans for taking only two American security agents were not shared thoroughly with the embassys country team, who were not fully aware of the planned movements off the compound, the report determined.
“Officials said the review did not address the limitation in the capabilities of the American military command responsible for a large swath of countries swept up in the Arab Spring.
“On the night of the attack, the Pentagon was able to divert an unarmed Predator drone operating 90 miles away to Benghazi, and the C.I.A. later used it to help plan an escape route for the surviving Americans. But other military forces were too far away or could not be mobilized in time.”
Why was Stevens there for the first time in 10 months? He obviously did not share the visit with the “Embassy’s country team” because the visit was somewhat suspect.
“a large swath of countries swept up in the Arab Spring” and its complications that Obama is incapable of dealing with.
And, finally, the outright lie: “But other military forces were too far away or could not be mobilized in time.”
When will the Times admit that Obama refused to give the call to have our military rescue Stevens and the others?
The problem of hiring local militias was being shouted from some rooftops BEFORE this incident. It was a known issue THEN,,,this report is saying the same thing that has already been said. The Washington Free Beacon had a report on how old THAT news was at the time of the Benghazi assassinations.
How could they have known, at the time, how much time would be needed to assist or perform a rescue these people. Would they have been able to hold out 8 hours or 8 days or 8 weeks? They could only know that after the event terminated....not in real time.
This report is a pantful.
“The panel also blamed the State Department for waiting for specific warnings of imminent attacks to act...”
THEY DIDN’T F@#$@#ING ACT! THEY LET THEM DIE! What a bunch of worthless @#$#s the panel turned out to be.
I read the 39 page report and there is no doubt that this is not worth the paper it is printed on. Pickering and Dick Shinnick are homers who are protecting the Department and the 7th floor--not to mention the WH.
BTTT
The Amb doesn't have to share his movements with the CT. They work for him. It would have been useful to share his movements with them, especially DAO and the station chief, to get some imput on security conditions. But the CT doesn't have any approval function over the Amb's movements nor does it have to be informed about them.
Of course not. We were trying to overthrow him. Now we are alleged allies of the current regime. Obama didn't want to offend them. Look how long it took for the rescue team from Tripoli to get out of the airport in Benghazi.
all the circumstantial evidence is there
the same mercenaries funded to take out ghadaffi and loot Libyan wealth, led by the terrorist released from Gitmo by Holder
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