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Marine commander (Col George Bristol) says no stand-down order in Benghazi attack
UPI.com ^ | Jul 31, 2013 | UPI

Posted on 07/31/2013 6:53:04 PM PDT by xzins

A Marine operations commander told lawmakers Wednesday he gave troops in Libya permission to respond to a September 2012 attack on a U.S. mission in Tripoli.

Testifying in closed session before the House Armed Services Committee, Col. George Bristol contradicted claims by some congressional Republicans he had issued a stand-down order following the attack, in which U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stephens and three other Americans were killed, The Hill reported.

Bristol, who commanded Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans Sahara at the time of the attack, said he gave the Tripoli security team leader, Lt. Col. S.E. Gibson, permission to act freely in response to the attack, The Hill said, citing a description it had received of the committee's members-only briefing.

Gibson told Congress last month he was ordered not to send his team to Benghazi because they were needed in Tripoli in the event of an attack on the U.S. Embassy.

Republicans argue the United States wasn't prepared to respond adequately to the Benghazi attack.

They accuse the Obama administration of downplaying or covering up the administration's handling of the attack, its lead-up and aftermath during the heat of the 2012 presidential campaign.

"Colonel Bristol has experience that could be valuable in deepening our understanding of the events of that day," a committee source told The Hill.

"Of particular interest to the committee is what our posture was in the weeks and months that preceded the attack," the source said.

Bristol, a seasoned combat commander, stepped down from his task force commander post in March.

(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: benghazi; benghazicoverup; colbristol; fastandfurious; georgebristol; impeachnow; irs; obamasfault; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; quidproquo; standdown; zerogoesunderthebus
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To: xzins

So did Dohtery and Woods disobey an order? or just go on in on their own? How did they find out the annex was under attack?


41 posted on 07/31/2013 7:25:54 PM PDT by flowergirl
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To: xzins

I guess Chaffetz is lying:

AFRICOM Leader General Carter Ham Was Never Ordered to Save US Men in Benghazi

Per Rep. Jason Chaffetz R-UT asking General Ham directly:

(close paraphrase)

Did we have assets in the area? The answer is “yes”.
Did we have proximity? The answer is “yes”.
Why we didn’t send in some of those assets? The general said he was not requested to do so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4W1LDSs5X4&feature=youtube_gdata_player


42 posted on 07/31/2013 7:26:29 PM PDT by haffast (Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all. -Abe Lincoln)
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To: ChildOfThe60s

Last year I read Jeff Shaara’s book, “The Final Storm”, about the battle of Okinawa. It still haunts my memory.

What our Marines did there merits all of them being awarded the MOH posthumously for the dead, and with full national honors for those still living.

It was chilling, disturbing.


43 posted on 07/31/2013 7:26:50 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: originalbuckeye

Then the Ambassador, Smith, Doherty and Woods were ‘collateral’.


44 posted on 07/31/2013 7:27:08 PM PDT by txhurl ('The DOG ate my homework. That homework, too. ALL my homework. OK?' - POSHITUS)
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To: Yosemitest
Hillary has proved over and over that by staying quiet she can avoid any problems because her media allies will find another story to latch onto for her.

This is how Trayvon became more important than Benghazi.

The smartest the republicans could do is link her to Obama's statement about scandals being phony and force the media to ask her some questions:
Hypothetical Statement by Reince Priebus (or anyone in the party):
"I have to say that I absolutely disagree with the position taken by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton that oour ambassador and his security team being murdered in Benghazi is a phony scandal."

As this is published the Hillary media will go into protection mode and allow her an opportunity to make a statement saying the original quote was Obama's, not hers. THEN, the obvious follow up has to be, "do you agree with his statement?"

At that point she has no way out.

(Of course, this is only a fantasy on my part. No one is going to dare put her on the spot for fear of being taken apart by her media.)

45 posted on 07/31/2013 7:29:53 PM PDT by Baynative (Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.)
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To: xzins

If he gave that order and there was no “stand down” order then why the hell were not a bunch of troops or their Lieutenant or captain or whatever COURT-MARTIALED for disobeying an order?????


46 posted on 07/31/2013 7:30:06 PM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson ONLINE http://steshaw.org/econohttp://www.fee.org/library/det)
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To: xzins

“What does it matter now?”


47 posted on 07/31/2013 7:31:13 PM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: arthurus

Makes no sense, does it. Moreover, he says he gave permission to go.


48 posted on 07/31/2013 7:31:47 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: xzins

So if there was no stand-down order, I’m sure investigators can have immediate access to all the survivors, who signed non-disclosure statements for no good reason.

RIGHT?


49 posted on 07/31/2013 7:31:54 PM PDT by Colonel_Flagg (Army dad. And damned proud.)
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To: Diogenesis

Per the article it is a leak from a staffer from a closed committee, I am sure I can guess from which side. This is the standard operating procedure for the Dem’s. Leak a partial quote, half truth or lie from a closed or classified hearing and our side that plays by the rules can’t respond. I will hold judgement until I hear our side if they have the balls to leak the truth.


50 posted on 07/31/2013 7:32:15 PM PDT by crosslink (Moderates should play in the middle of a busy street)
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To: Don Corleone

I’m convinced this all goes back to her. (Obviously, to Obama, too.) I think Hillary is the key. She was/is a disaster.


51 posted on 07/31/2013 7:33:19 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: Lancey Howard

We cannot allow the pink swastika to dominate our military.


52 posted on 07/31/2013 7:35:02 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: xzins

Yes. More than I can comprehend.


53 posted on 07/31/2013 7:39:34 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)
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To: xzins

I think this was not a situation of an order being given -that is, a stand-down order - but simply of no order being given at all. It was a sensitive situation and probably these people, whether they were careerists or just diligent military personnel, would not have made any decision on their own.

They just never got an order or anything they felt that would enable them to cover themselves for any action, and since Obama has been all about attacking our military for any real or imagined offense, they were probably afraid to proceed without a specific order.


54 posted on 07/31/2013 7:45:59 PM PDT by livius
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To: Diogenesis

He is responsible for murder. Is he gay?


55 posted on 07/31/2013 7:46:34 PM PDT by SADMILLIE
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To: ChildOfThe60s

Twelve and a half thousand died.


56 posted on 07/31/2013 7:46:57 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: xzins; jazusamo; bigheadfred
I think this article explains a bit better what was going on. politifact.com

In this article it says LtCol Gibson was not given the necessary approval to take a four person team to Benghazi from Tripoli for the withdrawal at the airport. It's not technically a stand down (I think), and it wasn't for extraction at the annex.

Snipped from the article:

Here’s what Hicks told lawmakers:

"The defense attache had persuaded the Libyans to fly their C-130 to Benghazi. ... Since we had consolidated at the annex, and the Libyan government had now provided us with external security around our facilities, we wanted to send further reinforcements to Benghazi.

"We determined that Lieutenant Gibson and his team of special forces troops should go. The people in Benghazi had been fighting all night. They were tired. They were exhausted. We wanted to make sure the airport was secure for their withdrawal. As Col. Gibson and his three personnel were getting in the cars, he stopped. And he called them off and told me that he had not been authorized to go. The vehicles had to go because the flight needed to go to Tripoli, I mean, to Benghazi. Lt. Col. Gibson was furious. I had told him to go bring our people home. That's what he wanted to do. … So the plane went. I think it landed in Benghazi around 7:30."


Thankfully, they did not have more attacks at the airport.
57 posted on 07/31/2013 7:48:04 PM PDT by Girlene (Hey, NSA!)
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To: livius

Correct me if I’m wrong, but this article makes it appear that Col Bristol gave a “go if necessary” permission. LTC Gibson says he was told not to launch for any reason.

Those two don’t fit together.


58 posted on 07/31/2013 7:49:24 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for their victory!)
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To: Gay State Conservative

That’s what got my attention. Commanders give orders, not ‘permission’.


59 posted on 07/31/2013 7:50:43 PM PDT by SueRae (It isn't over. In God We Trust.)
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To: Girlene; bigheadfred

How do you piece together Gibson saying he was told not to launch, and Bristol saying he gave permission to launch if necessary?


60 posted on 07/31/2013 7:52:31 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for their victory!)
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