Diplomat: US team stopped from going to Benghaz ( House Hearings on Benghazi )

Long Beach Press-Telegram ^ | Updated: 05/07/2013 12:19:51 AM PDT | DONNA CASSATA Associated Press

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

WASHINGTON—Four members of Army special forces ready to head to Benghazi, Libya, after the deadly assault on the American diplomatic mission had ended were told not to go, according to a former top diplomat.

Gregory Hicks also argued in an interview with Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that if the U.S. military had flown aircraft over the Benghazi facility after it came under siege it might have prevented the second attack on the CIA annex that killed two CIA security officers.

Excerpts of the interview with the former deputy chief in Libya were released Monday in advance of Hicks' testimony on Wednesday before the panel.

The Sept. 11, 2012, assault killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Nearly eight months later, Republicans insist that the Obama administration is guilty of a cover-up of the events despite a scathing independent report that faulted the State Department for inadequate security at the diplomatic mission.

Hicks' comments and the hearing are likely to revive the politically charged debate in which GOP lawmakers and outside groups have faulted former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a possible presidential candidate in 2016.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Had to use search to find this on the web site.

Doubt if it made it to the front page of the paper.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[Tennessee Nana]

[allendale]

The 6th Fleet monitored what was happening from the beginning. Any competent area commander had an intervention planned and ready to go within a half hour. Who ordered them to stand down and why is the most important information to learn from these hearings. Its pathetic how the MSM fully dominated by the Left is in full defensive mode to protect Obama from his malfeasance and Clinton’s incompetence. The Media can care less about the truth of what happened.

[PLD]

Where is Lt. Col. Gibson? Please come forward and tell who gave you the order to stand down..

Has the Obama goons done away with him to save their ugly asses..

BTW the man that they arrested for the video that Hillary and Obama insisted caused all this is still in jail even after he was prov en not the cause of this..Release this man you thugs..

[Texas Fossil]

Connect the dots.

The inadequate security blamed on the State Department was at the direction of the White Hut.

The blood is on Obozo’s hands. He gave the orders that caused this.

[circlecity]

I love the mirror on the desk. Nice touch.

[Marathoner 244]

The Tribune-Review had Bengazi on the front page this AM, the liberal Post-Gazette burried it on page 6. P-G gotta protect their Messiah!

[bluecat6]

Question at hand.

What if the small ‘diplomatic security force’ from Tripoli had failed in the rescue mission that pulled out the 40 or so ‘diplomats’?

What if that plane had been disabled in an ambush at the airport?

What was plan B? What was plan C? What was plan D? There appears that there was none. Nothing. No out-of-country (or in country non-state department assets) were in motion and en-route for support that we know of - none.

These people appear to have been completely abandoned. And if the small, original rescue mission from Tripoli had failed over 40 Americans would possibly be dead right now. Because there was no backup plan(s).

[Grampa Dave]

— Then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jan. 23, 2013:

“I wasn’t involved in the talking points process.... As I understand it, as I’ve been told, it was a typical interagency process where staff, including from the State Department, all participated, to try to come up with whatever was going to be made publicly available, and it was an intelligence product.”

“With all due respect,the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided to go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?”—Hillary Clinton

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

LOL...Love “Obama Calls For Help”

[gandalftb]

No one knew or could have known if any relieving force would be walking into a trap. Mogadishu.......

In our entire military there is only one force, the Marine
Corps TRAP, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel force that trains and is armed for and has helo insertion options for hot LZ’s.

It is also the only force that goes in heavy, with weapons platoons that can terminate all opposing forces and anyone foolish enough to stay around.

The problem is that they are only deployed on MEF’s, Marine Expeditionary Forces of which we have only three deployed worldwide at any time. Two are dedicated to the Persian Gulf - Afghan theater.

One is deployed to the eastern Med and has been committed to the Syrian - Jordan - Israel - Egypt theater. Libya was not considered an active threat as compared to the eastern Med.

We can only do so much. There was a SST (site Security Team) on site that was pulled out even though it was free and available to Dept of State for another 6 months.

All this talk about this unit or that 4 SF personnel could have gone in is just ignorant talk. This is the real world folks, instantly desperate by a clever and constantly probing enemy.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Guess I lost the "i" on Benghaz" in the title.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Good to have some real knowlege show up....and we all should remember that the annex was a CIA operation...with people that the Libyan Government didn't have direct kowledge of...I presume...

The Acting Ambassador organized the rescue effort that saved most of them as well as the few associated with the State Department.

So just what was the annex about?

They were doing something important....was it about understanding the growing force of Islamic extremists in Africa.?

In spite of Obama's words regarding killing bin laden and having Al-Queda on the run?

Why did a Turkish official show up for a meeting,....in Benghazi ...not in Tripoli.?

*******************************************

And the questions go on.

Add your own.

[Marine_Uncle]

Both sides of the aisle have been doing a good job at not exposing the real reasons the CIA Annex was attacked.

[gandalftb]

The full story and the op is nearly ended. The Israeli’s are playing the final cards in Syria.

[jpsb]

I watched the movie, Black Hawk Down, so that is about all I know of the incident. But what stuck me as incredible, as a USMC vet, is how often the men in charge split his forces. Splitting your forces is something good commanders try very hard not to do. Usually bad things happen when you split your forces. Maybe the movie was BS, I don’t know since I was not there.

[Marine_Uncle]

RE: "The Israeli’s are playing the final cards in Syria."
I agree with that analysis.

[potlatch]

I’m late but thanks for the ping. I liked the fist-shaking one of Hillary..........but I like animations, lol.

[Raven6]

” Why did a Turkish official show up for a meeting,....in Benghazi ...not in Tripoli.?” - Ernest

Because the CIA had been shoving weapons across the Turkish border into Syria since early on. Supposedly going to Syrian rebels... But about 85% of the rebels are actually Al Qaida. The Turkish official was there for a discusion of that operation.

My opinion: the attack on the complex was a planned kidnap operation gone wrong because our security personel on the ground refused to stand down. The kidnappers opted to kill instead of kidnap since the chances of a successful kidnapping were seriously damaged. The question that remains is: “Why would our State Department want to issue a “stand down” order and allow a kidnapping?” The only answers I can come up with are: 1) that someone wanted to negotiate a “peaceful” release or a “heroic” rescue - thus appearing to be either a great negotiator or a hero; 2) weapons that would have been discovered by our rescuing forces would have proven to have been U.S. in origin (in use by A.Q.) and would have blown the entire “weapons through Turkey” operation wide open. (Remember that this was in September and not much was being said about Turkey and any weapons movement). Now who would have benefitted from looking like a great negotiator or hero right before an election?