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Panetta: Obama never called back to check on Benghazi
Hot Air.com ^ | February 8, 2013 | ED MORRISSEY

Posted on 02/08/2013 4:28:30 PM PST by Kaslin

We didn’t get to this yesterday, but it’s definitely worth watching — especially for the skill shown by Lindsey Graham in his examination of Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey. The headline takeaway will be what is remembered most: the revelation that Barack Obama never bothered to keep in touch with his chair of the Joint Chiefs and Secretary of Defense after being informed that an American consulate was under attack from terrorists.

But if that’s all you hear from this, you’re missing the big picture. Graham managed to elicit a number of damaging statements from the two. Not one aircraft had been deployed during the attack; not one boot left the ground outside of Libya. As far as the 281 concurrent threat reports that Panetta and Dempsey claimed kept them from considering Benghazi a special threat, Graham asks how many of those cables came from US Ambassadors stating specifically (as Stevens’ did) that an American installation was incapable of defending itself against a sustained attack and that government buildings nearby were flying al-Qaeda flags — “because I want to know about them, if they do,” Graham adds. Dempsey tries to push that off to State, at which time Graham informs Dempsey that Hillary Clinton claimed never to have seen that cable, even though Dempsey clearly had, which he admits is “surprising.”

Graham then circles back to the lack of action from the White House once the attack was under way:

Lindsey Graham Hammers Leon Panetta & Gen Dempsey on Benghazi and not getting troops there

SEN. GRAHAM: Are you surprised that the president of the United States never called you, Secretary Panetta, and say, ‘how’s it going?’

SEC. PANETTA: I — you know, normally in these situations –

SEN. GRAHAM: Did he know the level of threat that –

SEC. PANETTA: Let — well, let me finish the answer. We were deploying the forces. He knew we were deploying the forces. He was being kept updated –

SEN. GRAHAM: Well, I hate to interrupt you, but I got limited time. We didn’t deploy any forces. Did you call him back — wait a minute –

SEC. PANETTA: No, but the event — the event was over by the time we got –

SEN. GRAHAM: Mr. Secretary, you didn’t know how long the attack would last. Did you ever call him and say, Mr. President, it looks like we don’t have anything to get there anytime soon?

SEC. PANETTA: The event was over before we could move any assets.

SEN. GRAHAM: It lasted almost eight hours. And my question to you is during that eight-hour period, did the president show any curiosity about how’s this going, what kind of assets do you have helping these people? Did he ever make that phone call?

SEC. PANETTA: Look, there is no question in my mind that the president of the United States was concerned about American lives and, frankly, all of us were concerned about American lives.

SEN. GRAHAM: With all due respect, I don’t believe that’s a credible statement if he never called and asked you, are we helping these people; what’s happening to them? We have a second round, and we’ll take it up then.

Graham just demolished the entire White House defense on Benghazi in less than ten minutes of cross-examination.


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: benghazi; crossborderauthority; generaldempsey; leonpanetta; libya; lindseygraham; navyseals; obamaspeople; panettahearing; terrorism; threatmatrix; waronterror
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1 posted on 02/08/2013 4:28:39 PM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
I can never remember a president being so totally unconcerned that he was completely disconnected to his dept of defense during such an attack.

As for the MSM, they lower the bar on journalistic ethics every day. Who knows what they'll stoop by the time its all over to protect the incompetent pile of hyena squeeze in the WH.

2 posted on 02/08/2013 4:37:16 PM PST by skeeter
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To: Kaslin

If Obama was being updated he must have slept through the updates.

Fact is Obama did not give a damn. He turned it over to a subordinate so he would have plausible deniability of somehting went wrond.

Obama was covering his own ass, something that he does well and more than a few have had that bus driven over them.


3 posted on 02/08/2013 4:37:25 PM PST by Venturer
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To: Kaslin

IMPEACH OBAMA NOW (ION)


4 posted on 02/08/2013 4:40:46 PM PST by BCW (http://babylonscovertwar.com/index.html)
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To: Kaslin

Obama is never going to tell the whole story. Ever. Period.


5 posted on 02/08/2013 4:40:59 PM PST by Tau Food (Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.)
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To: Venturer

I just recalled it was Panetta who ordered the killing of Osama Bin Laden, He got Obama off the Golf Course after the fact the mission was under way.
That one turned out good so Obama took the credit and claimed he got Osama single handed.

This one did not turn out so good so he stays hidden in the closet.

This Obama is Barf, Plain and simple. Nothing but barf.


6 posted on 02/08/2013 4:41:12 PM PST by Venturer
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To: skeeter

Neither can I


7 posted on 02/08/2013 4:44:58 PM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin
Bathhouse Barry was too busy playing “hide the salami” at the 19th Hole.
8 posted on 02/08/2013 4:46:24 PM PST by twister881
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To: Kaslin
The stench of Treason emanating from this Regime is both stunning in its brazenness and terrifying in its implications for the fate of our Nation, our Freedoms, and our American way of life.

I mourn for the future of my children!



Keep Faith with the Fallen of Benghazi! Let the Obama Regime, for once, tell the Truth!

Fiat Justitia, Ruat Coelum!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

9 posted on 02/08/2013 4:47:23 PM PST by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
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To: Kaslin
Only the POTUS had the authority to act!

0bama was notified immediately and automatically when the Benghazi consulate triggered the "Imminent Danger Notification System" alert. He did nothing.

Judge Jeanine Investigates Benghazi Gate Part 4 - 10/20/2012 video 6:53
Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer (U.S. Army ret.), former CIA Station Chief Gary Berntsen and former CIA operative Mike Baker

They confirm everything Col. Hunt said about automatic notifications to the WH and add more details.

Howie Carr interview with Col. Hunt On The Newest Libyan Revelations audio 28:37

There are three scandals here...

---------------------------------------------------------

Denial of requests for security were a dereliction of duty. The lies and misdirection about the "video" after the attack were fraud and malfeasance under the color of authority. The inaction during the attack was something more than that.

The failure to act during the attack is the direct equivalent of desertion IMO.

ONE man had the authority to act that night.

ONE man deserted his post!

EXCLUSIVE: CIA operators were denied request for help during Benghazi attack, sources say

0bama abandoned his post.

0bama did nothing!

10 posted on 02/08/2013 4:50:12 PM PST by TigersEye (The irresponsible should not be leading the responsible.)
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To: Venturer

There is no denying, that arrogant pos is the worst president ever


11 posted on 02/08/2013 4:50:28 PM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: skeeter
As for the MSM, they lower the bar on journalistic ethics every day.

As for the "MSM"...they don't lower the bar, they threw the bar away when they were bought and paid for the Communists.

Why, oh why, do Freepers still whine about the MSM not reporting the truth?

They were bought a long time ago...this is all part of the Alinsky plan.

Wake up and smell the Starbucks!;-)

12 posted on 02/08/2013 4:50:59 PM PST by RoosterRedux (Get armed, practice in the use of your weapons, get physically fit, stay alert!)
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To: Kaslin

my 70 yr old mother knew more about what was happening in Benghazi then the president of the United States

yea... that’s not dereliction of duty

/eye-rolling-sarcasm


13 posted on 02/08/2013 4:52:19 PM PST by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Kaslin
The POS is the ONLY one who can deploy forces internationally...this BS line of "leaving it up to Panetta and Hilda" is pure BS
14 posted on 02/08/2013 4:53:02 PM PST by Doogle (USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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To: Kaslin

The more questions asked the more questions arise. Questions not asked, answers not forthcoming.

TREASON...continuous, in real-time, agency-abetted, on display, in-your-face, unchallenged, pre-meditated, unquestioned, ongoing...

It’s so comforting to know the videographer is in custody. Closure for family and friends of Doherty, Smith, Stevens, Woods.

R.I.P. men. Thanks for your service to treasonous, hand-wringing bureaucrat-traitors.


15 posted on 02/08/2013 4:54:10 PM PST by PGalt
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To: BCW

If any one needs to be impeached, that arrogant pos occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave does forsure


16 posted on 02/08/2013 4:54:22 PM PST by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: Venturer

Handle it, Leon, handle it!

I’ll check in later.

(Then leave the room with the phone off the hook.)

JFK would have been on it every second.


18 posted on 02/08/2013 4:57:53 PM PST by alloysteel (If conspiracy does not exist everywhere, it exists nowhere.)
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To: Kaslin

Great post - pfl.


19 posted on 02/08/2013 4:58:23 PM PST by andyk (I have sworn...eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.)
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To: Kaslin

“We were deploying the forces...”

Really? What forces did we deploy, Mr. Secretary?


20 posted on 02/08/2013 5:00:27 PM PST by andyk (I have sworn...eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.)
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