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Panetta Says Risk Impeded Deployment to Benghazi (Admin has painted itself into a corner)
New York Times ^ | 10/25/2012 | ELISABETH BUMILLER

Posted on 10/28/2012 9:11:36 AM PDT by Tennessean4Bush

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Thursday that he and top military commanders “felt very strongly” that deploying American forces to defend against the fatal attack last month on the United States diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, was too risky because they did not have a clear picture of what was happening on the ground.

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


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: benghazi; deptofdefense; libya; panetta; panetta4alqaeda; panettatheweak; waronterror; yellowpanetta
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Panetta has now "tied the noose" around this Administration in a way that will prove difficult if not impossible to slip out of before getting "hung" by the events of Benghazi, but more specifically by their handling of the reporting to the American people and the world about those events.

If we are to believe Panetta, they are now saying that, in real time, they were too concerned about the situation on the ground to allow putting troops into harms way. This is a position that can be defended by itself (although it shows too much cowardice in my opinion but at least it is defensible). The problem is this: this now cannot in any way, shape, or form square with the fact that three days later (accepting the administration's timeline) they decide to blame this on a video. That decision was not a "fog of war" decision. It does not fall into the "Monday morning quarterbacking" arena as Panetta invoked. The decision to blame this on a video and spontaneous demonstrations, in a very coordinated and persistent (over two weeks) manner, to go on multiple talk shows, late night shows, and to the UN, and to produce an ad for Arab TV blame it on a video, now puts the WH is an untenable position. This is not incompetence. This is deceit. There is no way to spin this, if Panetta is to be believed that they were concerned about engaging what was going on at the consulate.

1 posted on 10/28/2012 9:11:49 AM PDT by Tennessean4Bush
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To: Tennessean4Bush

So it was too risky for Delta force, jet fighters, and the AC130 but not too risky for an unarmed Ambassador and his staff.

Am I understanding this correctly?


2 posted on 10/28/2012 9:14:29 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Tennessean4Bush

What absolute morons. These commies have no idea that risk is what the military is ALL ABOUT. Sheesh. What disgusting JERKS.


3 posted on 10/28/2012 9:16:05 AM PDT by Tzfat
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To: Tennessean4Bush; All

Whether or not this was handled well, the fear of a “Blackhawk Down” scenario could easily have been on someone’s mind. If you haven’t seen that movie, you should, it is really scary, and I have a son in Afghanistan. If would sure make me think twice before committing more troops.


4 posted on 10/28/2012 9:16:29 AM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: Tennessean4Bush; All

Whether or not this was handled well, the fear of a “Blackhawk Down” scenario could easily have been on someone’s mind. If you haven’t seen that movie, you should, it is really scary, and I have a son in Afghanistan. If would sure make me think twice before committing more troops.


5 posted on 10/28/2012 9:16:31 AM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: Tennessean4Bush

Risk? Risk to what? Risk that 4 Americans might not be killed and Obama’s buttheaded insistence that there will be no more 9/11 anniversary terror outbreaks because he eradicated all terrorism when he personally strode in that hovel in Pakistan and drilled Osama Bin Laden in the eye?

The risk was that if these 4 were saved that somebody somewhere might think that maybe what Obama said isn’t true?

The MSM that is hiding this now are nothing more than the equivalent of Al-Quada terrorists. They should be lined up outside their cushy offices and summarily executed forthwith. Nothing less.


6 posted on 10/28/2012 9:16:34 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Tennessean4Bush

“too risky” is simply a euphemism for
“Our arms transfer to al Qaeda might be discovered” or

“Our use of terrorists working for the State Dept
might be discovered” or

“Our treason against America might be discovered”

or, of course, all of the above.


7 posted on 10/28/2012 9:17:13 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Vi veri veniversum vivus vici)
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To: Tennessean4Bush

Panetta is a complete hack.


8 posted on 10/28/2012 9:17:52 AM PDT by maddogtiger
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To: Tennessean4Bush

9 posted on 10/28/2012 9:17:59 AM PDT by frankenMonkey
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To: Tennessean4Bush

Obama didn’t want to kill or hurt any moslums.

Four more Americans slaughtered by moslum terrorists.

Chalk it up to “Workplace Violence”.


10 posted on 10/28/2012 9:18:04 AM PDT by Iron Munro (Psalm 109:8 "Let his days be few, and let another take his office.")
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To: Tzfat

This kind of thinking is similar to the police, who set up a perimeter and wait outside until the shooting inside has stopped.


11 posted on 10/28/2012 9:18:42 AM PDT by rabidralph (I passed tagline training on the third try. Ask me how!)
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To: Tennessean4Bush

Moosechelle said that for the first time she was proud of her country.
I can say that for the first time I am not proud of my country. At least the way it is being run (overun) by these marxists.
Unfortunately our complicit so called press will let them slide.


12 posted on 10/28/2012 9:19:59 AM PDT by certrtwngnut (He shrugs!)
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To: Tennessean4Bush

The SecDef must not be sleeping well at night and is avoiding looking in the mirror. Not a pretty picture

Cowardice is ugly.


13 posted on 10/28/2012 9:20:27 AM PDT by CheneyChick (01/20/2013)
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To: Iron Munro

“””””Obama didn’t want to kill or hurt any moslums.

Four more Americans slaughtered by moslum terrorists.

Chalk it up to “Workplace Violence”.””””

He protects his own people, not us.


14 posted on 10/28/2012 9:20:27 AM PDT by shelterguy
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To: Tennessean4Bush

And Mr Panetta, does the Fire Department wait and see how big a fire gets before they go out on a call for help?


15 posted on 10/28/2012 9:20:46 AM PDT by Son House (The Economic Boom Heard Around The World => TEA Party 2012)
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To: Iron Munro

LOL

If you read between the lines, it sounds to me like micromanagement is the issue alone with ROE that favors the “Vulnerables”.


16 posted on 10/28/2012 9:21:53 AM PDT by drunknsage
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To: Tennessean4Bush
To simplify this for our friends or neighbors who don't follow things closely.

The administration was all over initially making statements blaming the video for what happened. Fact is; they had real time; streaming audio/video while it was happening on what was happening.

17 posted on 10/28/2012 9:22:35 AM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (Encourage all of your Democrat friends to get out and vote on November 7th, the stakes are high.)
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To: driftdiver

Too risky for the scardy-cats? But not too risky for Obama w/o the Senate’s approval to support the rebels a year ago? hmm


18 posted on 10/28/2012 9:24:01 AM PDT by bboop (does not suffer fools gladly)
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To: Tennessean4Bush
They've tried everything else.. the one thing that will get the MSM, the universities, Hollywood, et al. behind them is the only thing they have left

Headline:

Study: Nothing could be done to save Americans in Benghazi
Bush Left The Military In Such Poor Shape
A White House study revealed that there was nothing President Obama could do

19 posted on 10/28/2012 9:24:27 AM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: gleeaikin

I’m sorry that you have a son in Afghanistan now effectively abandoned by his President and his henchmen/women with ridiculous rules of engagement, nebulous plans and neglect.

“Blackhawk Down” was the fault of Bill Clinton and the media. The American Press met the shore ‘assault’ on Mogdishu in a story book ‘invasion story’. Clinton later refused to send the assets requested (M-1 Abrahms tanks, etc.) to protect our troops. The same way Obama deserted his charges in Libya and Bengazi.

Scenarios come and go. When they are tinted by BS politics is when our sons and daughters get killed. I sincerely hope your son returns home from where he is unscathed.

The right thing to do is the ‘right thing’ — save Americans where you have the ability to do so, PERIOD!


20 posted on 10/28/2012 9:24:27 AM PDT by Gaffer
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